Value of the Data •To the authors' knowledge, this is the first large-scale survey conducted in an arid inland community on public water knowledge and perceptions of potable water reuse. Thus, the data will be a useful point of comparison for similar surveys conducted in other regions. •The dataset and associated materials will provide researchers, water utilities and other interested entities with information and methods on conducting a large-scale public survey on water-related topics. •While the authors have published articles related to the data described in this article, these analyses were not exhaustive. Water utilities, planners, engineers, and managers may be interested in other facets of the data that have not yet been analyzed. By making the data set freely available, others can perform further analyses that are useful to the advancement of knowledge on issues related to water reuse in arid inland areas. •With water scarcity becoming a critical issue around the world, more data is needed in additional contexts regarding management of water resources and the implementation of technologies useful in adapting to climate change.