IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/recore/v113y2016icp106-115.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Public perceptions of water shortages, conservation behaviors, and support for water reuse in the U.S

Author

Listed:
  • Garcia-Cuerva, Laura
  • Berglund, Emily Z.
  • Binder, Andrew R.

Abstract

Reclaimed water programs treat wastewater to remove hazardous compounds, pathogens, and organic matter and provide reclaimed water for non-potable applications. Reusing water may significantly reduce demands on freshwater resources and provide sustainable water management strategies. Though production of reclaimed water is highly regulated, public acceptability has historically hindered the implementation of successful reclaimed water systems. The public generally opposes the use of reclaimed water due to the “yuck factor”, which is the instinctive disgust associated with the idea of recycling sewage and the fear that exposure to reclaimed water is unsafe. This paper reports the results of an extensive survey that was conducted to evaluate the potential acceptability of reclaimed water use. A total of 2800 respondents across the U.S. participated in the survey. Results demonstrate that a small percentage of the population is concerned about water shortages, the majority of the population practices some level of water conservation, and a substantial percentage of the population supports the use of reclaimed water. Climate, demographic variables, and financial incentives were tested for influence on attitudes and behaviors regarding water, including awareness, conservation, and support for water reuse. Sex, age, last monthly water bill, and location (as EPA region) showed no significant effect on the acceptance of water reuse, while ethnicity, education level, metro/non metro, and income showed significant effects. Drought conditions do not have a statistically significant effect on the number of reclaimed water supporters, but increase the number of respondents who are water concerned, the number of respondents who are the most active water conservers, and the number of respondents who limit their use of water for lawn and garden watering. Financial incentives influence the willingness of respondents to participate in water reuse programs, and a decrease in the monthly water bills increased the likelihood that respondents would participate in a reclaimed water program. Support for the use of reclaimed water for various applications ranked positively, on average, except for the application of water reuse for food crop irrigation and use of reclaimed water at respondents’ own residences. Results and conclusions of the survey can provide insight for implementing successful reclaimed water programs.

Suggested Citation

  • Garcia-Cuerva, Laura & Berglund, Emily Z. & Binder, Andrew R., 2016. "Public perceptions of water shortages, conservation behaviors, and support for water reuse in the U.S," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 113(C), pages 106-115.
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:recore:v:113:y:2016:i:c:p:106-115
    DOI: 10.1016/j.resconrec.2016.06.006
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0921344916301434
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.resconrec.2016.06.006?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Buyukkamaci, Nurdan & Alkan, H. Sena, 2013. "Public acceptance potential for reuse applications in Turkey," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 80(C), pages 32-35.
    2. Gu, Qianxin & Chen, Yang & Pody, Robert & Cheng, Rong & Zheng, Xiang & Zhang, Zhenxing, 2015. "Public perception and acceptability toward reclaimed water in Tianjin," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 104(PA), pages 291-299.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Wang, Yutao & Sun, Mingxing & Song, Baimin, 2017. "Public perceptions of and willingness to pay for sponge city initiatives in China," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 122(C), pages 11-20.
    2. Rathnayaka, K. & Malano, H. & Arora, M. & George, B. & Maheepala, S. & Nawarathna, B., 2017. "Prediction of urban residential end-use water demands by integrating known and unknown water demand drivers at multiple scales II: Model application and validation," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 118(C), pages 1-12.
    3. Heidi M. Peterson & Lawrence A. Baker & Rimjhim M. Aggarwal & Treavor H. Boyer & Neng Iong Chan, 2022. "A transition management framework to stimulate a circular phosphorus system," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 24(2), pages 1713-1737, February.
    4. Salas-Zapata, Walter & Hoyos-Medina, Lorena & Mejía-Durango, Diana, 2023. "Urban residential water and electricity consumption behavior: A systematic literature review," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 83(C).
    5. Silva, Juliano Rezende Mudadu & de Oliveira Celeri, Maurício & Borges, Alisson Carraro & Fernandes, Raphael Bragança Alves, 2023. "Greywater as a water resource in agriculture: The acceptance and perception from Brazilian agricultural technicians," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 280(C).
    6. Tiantian Gu & Enyang Hao & Lan Ma & Xu Liu & Linxiu Wang, 2022. "Exploring the Determinants of Residents’ Behavior towards Participating in the Sponge-Style Old Community Renewal of China: Extending the Theory of Planned Behavior," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(8), pages 1-19, July.
    7. Zoe Gareiou & Christina Chroni & Karolos Kontoleon & Makram El Bachawati & Marianne Saba & Ruth Herrero Martin & Efthimios Zervas, 2022. "Awareness of Citizens for the Single-Use Plastics: Comparison between a High-Income and an Upper-Middle-Income Economy of the Easter Mediterranean Region, Greece and Lebanon," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(3), pages 1-35, February.
    8. Chunci Chen & Guizhen He & Yonglong Lu, 2022. "Payments for Watershed Ecosystem Services in the Eyes of the Public, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(15), pages 1-20, August.
    9. Abubakar, Ismaila Rimi & Mu'azu, Nuhu Dalhat, 2022. "Household attitudes toward wastewater recycling in Saudi Arabia," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 76(C).
    10. Agnieszka Stec & Daniel Słyś, 2022. "Financial and Social Factors Influencing the Use of Unconventional Water Systems in Single-Family Houses in Eight European Countries," Resources, MDPI, vol. 11(2), pages 1-25, January.
    11. Jelena Ristić Trajković & Verica Krstić & Aleksandra Milovanović & Cristina Sousa Coutinho Calheiros & Mirjana Ćujić & Milica Karanac & Jan K. Kazak & Sara Di Lonardo & Rocío Pineda-Martos & Mari Carm, 2024. "Moving Towards a Holistic Approach to Circular Cities: Obstacles and Perspectives for Implementation of Nature-Based Solutions in Europe," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(16), pages 1-24, August.
    12. DiCarlo, Morgan & Berglund, Emily Zechman & Kaza, Nikhil & Grieshop, Andrew & Shealy, Luke & Behr, Adam, 2023. "Customer complaint management and smart technology adoption by community water systems," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 80(C).
    13. Icaro Yuri Pereira Dias & Lira Luz Benites Lazaro & Virginia Grace Barros, 2023. "Water–Energy–Food Security Nexus—Estimating Future Water Demand Scenarios Based on Nexus Thinking: The Watershed as a Territory," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(9), pages 1-21, April.
    14. Chen, Zhuo & Wu, Qianyuan & Wu, Guangxue & Hu, Hong-Ying, 2017. "Centralized water reuse system with multiple applications in urban areas: Lessons from China’s experience," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 117(PB), pages 125-136.
    15. Roman Lyach & Jiří Remr, 2023. "Motivations of Households towards Conserving Water and Using Purified Water in Czechia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(3), pages 1-14, January.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Silva, Juliano Rezende Mudadu & de Oliveira Celeri, Maurício & Borges, Alisson Carraro & Fernandes, Raphael Bragança Alves, 2023. "Greywater as a water resource in agriculture: The acceptance and perception from Brazilian agricultural technicians," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 280(C).
    2. Xiao‐Ning Li & Ying Feng & Yung‐Ho Chiu & Tai‐Yu Lin & Shih‐Yung Chiu, 2021. "Recycling water and sludge disposal efficiency in China's sewage treatment industry," Managerial and Decision Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 42(7), pages 1703-1717, October.
    3. Wang, Yutao & Sun, Mingxing & Song, Baimin, 2017. "Public perceptions of and willingness to pay for sponge city initiatives in China," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 122(C), pages 11-20.
    4. Gu, Qianxin & Chen, Yang & Pody, Robert & Cheng, Rong & Zheng, Xiang & Zhang, Zhenxing, 2015. "Public perception and acceptability toward reclaimed water in Tianjin," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 104(PA), pages 291-299.
    5. Bennich, Amelie & Engwall, Mats & Nilsson, David, 2023. "Operating in the shadowland: Why water utilities fail to manage decaying infrastructure," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 82(C).
    6. Zheng, Xiang & Zhang, Zhenxing & Yu, Dawei & Chen, Xiaofen & Cheng, Rong & Min, Shang & Wang, Jiangquan & Xiao, Qingcong & Wang, Jihua, 2015. "Overview of membrane technology applications for industrial wastewater treatment in China to increase water supply," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 105(PA), pages 1-10.
    7. Chunci Chen & Guizhen He & Yonglong Lu, 2022. "Payments for Watershed Ecosystem Services in the Eyes of the Public, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(15), pages 1-20, August.
    8. Lin Liu & Weidong Wang & Yahya Njie, 2024. "Determinants of Intention to Adopt Recycled Water: Evidence from Four High-Water-Stress Provinces in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(14), pages 1-21, July.
    9. Abubakar, Ismaila Rimi & Mu'azu, Nuhu Dalhat, 2022. "Household attitudes toward wastewater recycling in Saudi Arabia," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 76(C).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:recore:v:113:y:2016:i:c:p:106-115. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Kai Meng (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.journals.elsevier.com/resources-conservation-and-recycling .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.