Drinking Wastewater Public Trust in Potable Reuse

TLDR: The relationship between trust in the professional institutions responsible for municipal water development and willingness to drink reclaimed water has been assessed in a survey of over 250 residents of Tucson, Arizona as discussed by the authors, showing that public acceptance of potable reuse is contingent on trust in authorities who influence design of sociotechnical systems for water supply and reuse.

Abstract: In the coming decades, highly treated wastewater, known as reclaimed water, is slated to be a major element of municipal water supplies. In particular, planners propose supplementing drinking water with reclaimed water as a sustainable solution to the growing challenge of urban water scarcity. Public opposition is currently considered the primary barrier to implementing successful potable water reuse projects; nonetheless, public responses to reclaimed water are not well understood. Based on a survey of over 250 residents of Tucson, Arizona, this article assesses the relationship between trust in the professional institutions responsible for municipal water development and willingness to drink reclaimed water. Results demonstrate that public acceptance of potable reuse is contingent on trust in the authorities who influence design of sociotechnical systems for water supply and reuse—including water and wastewater utilities, regulators, consultants, academics, and elected local officials. Findings