Perception and acceptance towards water reuse in the Southeast United States: A public survey

Abstract

The growing global water crisis has increased the need for alternative water sources. Among the potential solutions to mitigate the current challenging situation, water reuse has been considered and implemented, especially during the past decade. Public perception/acceptance represents one of the most common challenges related to the wide implementation of water reuse. To evaluate its public awareness and better understand the reasons behind the public skepticism for outdoor and indoor activities, a survey was conducted in the Southeast United States. The survey included open-ended questions, questions with five-point Likert scales, and multiple-choice questions. A total of 203 responses were considered for the final analysis. Participants, mostly in the 18-60 age range, hold at least a high school diploma (94 %). The age of the participants had an association with the knowledge related to the wastewater treatment method adopted in their household (chi squared, X² = 28.8, p = 0.055). Participants 1) selected the U.S. EPA as the most credible organization in the field of drinking water, 2) were more willing to use recycled water for removing road dust, watering private yards or non-edible crops, public toilets, and firefighting than for watering edible crops/orchards or livestock feed, and 3) were reluctant to use recycled water when direct-human contact or ingestion can occur. While only 8 % were willing to use recycled water for drinking, the addition of further treatments combined with environmental regulations, frequent sampling campaigns, and educational activities highlighting possible treatments and potential benefits related to water reuse, will increase the participants' willingness to implement water reuse more widely.

Keywords: Public perception; Southeast USA; Survey; Wastewater; Water reuse.