As part of a Washington State University (WSU) research project funded by the small rural town of  La Conner, a mail survey was conducted in March - May 2013 in order to gain a better understanding of residents' attitudes, opinions, and knowledge about the use of "Class A" biosolids on agricultural land and in the community. Skagit County is a rural agricultural county in northwestern Washington State with a population of approximately 117,000 people. The town of La Conner has a population of approximately 900 people.

The survey population consisted of two sub-populations: 1) La Conner residents served by the La Conner Waste Water Treatment Plant (374 households with a survey completion rate of 52%), and 2) a random sample of 1,000 households in Skagit County, excluding the Town of La Conner (32 % survey completion rate).

The survey consisted of 25 multiple choice and Likert scale questions and one open-ended question. It was conducted using the Tailored Design Method and data collection was open for 8 weeks. Definitions of composting, biosolids, and "Class A" biosolids were included with the survey materials.

The survey responses provide insight into citizens attitudes and opinions about the local agricultural use of "Class A" biosolids and the use of biosolids-based fertilizers on food crops. This information will be useful to local governments, community groups, waste management personnel, farmers, and researchers. Our results also indicate that surveys are a valuable education and outreach tool for scientists and public planners addressing controversial scientific issues like biosolids recycling. Strong support among survey respondents for the biosolids compost research conducted by WSU scientists and funded by the Town of La Conner indicates that this approach to local government-university collaboration may be a good model for community supported biosolids research.