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Consistent and accurate measurement of public perceptions of water quality is useful for understanding water use behaviors, policy development/support, and community engagement, all essential for sustainable water management. Toward consistent and accurate measurement, we refined and examined the initial psychometric properties of a Water Quality Perception Scale (WQPS). In this study, we report an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) with 18 items on a group of respondents (N = 154), which identified one primary factor, ‘Individual Water Quality Perception,’ consisting of 13 items and two additional factors represented by the remaining 5 items. Subsequently, a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was performed with (n = 147 participants), including both original (n = 74 assessed at a separate time from their original assessment) and new participants (n = 73). The results of the CFA affirmed the initial loadings of the 13-item WQPS in a single factor. The scale demonstrated internal consistency, with coefficients of 0.93 and 0.90 (Cronbach’s alpha) in the two samples, and the measure showed convergent validity with the Household Water Insecurity Experiences Scale (HWISE), (r = −0.41 and −0.49 in the respective samples). This scale holds promise toward consistent and accurate measurement instrument for researching public perceptions of water quality, guiding policy and public initiatives to improve water management strategies. Avenues for further development and use are discussed. 

This dataset contains de-identified survey data from 26 organizations and 36 people involved in housing services and projects in rural Alaska. These organizations included state and federal government organizations (9 organizations), regional housing authorities (4 organizations), and non-governmental organizations (13 organizations). The file contains questions and data on organizations’ ability to enact adaptation of housing, frequency of inter-organizational communication, and organizational attributes. The data was collected from Fall 2020 to Spring 2021. This study aims to understand the role of organizations in housing in rural Alaska. Through surveys with stakeholders from government organizations, non-profits, and professional firms, this study will provide a deeper understanding of housing concerns, collaboration between organizations and participatory practices of organizations with community-level stakeholders. 

This dataset contains de-identified transcripts of semi-structured interviews conducted with 25 stakeholders who make adaptation decisions for government agencies, nonprofits, engineering firms, or academic institutions in rural Alaska. The stakeholders included 14 government organizations, 5 private industry organizations, 2 academic institutions, non-profit organizations and tribal organizations each respectively. The file contains questions aimed at understanding stakeholders’ work in rural Alaska and how their work affects the adaptation of infrastructure including barriers of infrastructure adaption and the dimensions of adaptation barriers. The data was collected from Summer 2019 to Spring 2020. 

This dataset contains de-identified transcripts of interviews conducted in Unalakleet, Alaska in from May to August 2021. It does not contain identifiable information of participants. The dataset contains information on personal housing challenges, community housing concerns, preferences for future housing design and construction and climate change impacts. This dataset provides Alaska Native community perspectives regarding housing challenges and solutions using a community-based participatory research approach. 

Abstract BackgroundCivil engineers design systems that have the potential to impact existing oppressive societal conditions. Critical action—the ability to recognize and act against oppressive conditions—is an obligation for civil engineers committed to building a more just world. Purpose/HypothesisHistory reveals that civil engineers often do not take critical action and accrediting bodies (e.g., ABET) have responded by creating requirements to consider social factors and contexts. Considering these endeavors, we ask: To what extent do civil engineering students demonstrate critical action attitudes when prompted by engineering problem‐solving? In what ways does culturally relevant problem‐solving influence critical action attitudes? Design/MethodEmploying transformative action as a theoretical framework, we assessed students' responses to a design question on three levels that perpetuate or disrupt oppression (avoidant, destructive, and critical action). The empirical study used qualitative and quantitative analysis to examine survey responses of 375 civil engineering undergraduate students across 12 US universities. ResultsThe results showed that engineering students largely avoided discussing taking critical action, remaining focused on technical and nontechnical factors that evaded acknowledgement of sociopolitical factors. Nevertheless, when exposed to culturally relevant problem‐solving, students showed a statistically significant increase in both critical and destructive action responses. ConclusionsWe posit that students' exposure to culturally relevant problem‐solving can enhance students' critical action attitudes. The results call on the need for civil engineering educators to cultivate culturally relevant problem‐solving in civil engineering curriculum.