The Effect of Prior Knowledge of 'Unplanned' Potable Reuse on Acceptance of 'Planned' Potable Reuse

Researchers have determined that the public must accept the idea of drinking water reuse before it can become a key strategy for sustainable water supply. Vocal public opposition to reuse projects, even those that do not involve drinking water reuse, has halted projects from being implemented. The project evaluates whether people are likelier to accept drinking water reuse when they understand the full context of the water cycle: that all water is used and reused. Specifically, that treated wastewater effluent is discharged into rivers that become sources of drinking water downstream. This project did not address reuse resulting from the discharge of treated wastewater effluent to groundwater.

Originally funded as WERF project Reuse-09-01.