La Trobe University Albury-Wodonga senior social work lecturer Heather Downey has opened an anonymous online survey as part of her project to fill a gap in research.

"We know a lot about the value of water in the context of farming," she said.

"What we don't know is how residents in river towns engage with water for recreation, environmental and cultural purposes.

"What this study is all about is giving the community a voice.

"We're really interested in the places that water enables, so all these beautiful green places like our lawns, gardens and sports-grounds ... how people use water in their home, and whether or not that's changed."

Dr Downey undertook her PhD on farming couples and the role of water in their decision-making about retirement.

"I've always been interested in water issues and relationships people have with water," she said.

"A that time, the Murray Darling Basin Plan was just released and of course that was the biggest policy that was impacting on their decisions."

Water has become a highly political issue, and questions are asked in the survey about water health, but Dr Downey is particularly interested in social connections.

"I searched the literature; there were some key findings about people who were making changes in the context of their homes, and about First Nations peoples - we talked to Wiradjuri Elders before beginning," she said.

"But there's not so much about non-Indigenous people's cultural relationships with water. We know people really care about these issues."

Albury and Wodonga councils are supporting the distribution of the survey, which can be accessed at https://meaningofwaterabc.questionpro.com.