It is no secret that there is a growing global water crisis. This means we need innovative solutions to create sustainable water management. One option is recycled … but this has been known to spark outrageous front-page headlines of citizens drinking their own urine!
This is not the case, though. Stormwater is an excellent way to support water security. However, it needs to be treated before it can be safe for human use to remove pollutants like dirt, oil, chemicals or microorganisms. And the challenge is to collect, store and treat this to meet quality standards.
The good news is that there is a process whereby stormwater is recycled through Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR), which is a viable green product with economic and environmental benefits.
To explore the acceptance and concerns from urban residents about using recycled stormwater for residential purposes, CEDGE researcher Dr Zhifang Wu collaborated with fellow UniSA researcher Dr Ganesh Keremane and Professor Shufen Guo from Shanxi University of Finance and Economics.
In Taiyuan, the research team learned about the Chinese city’s severe water scarcity and environmental degradation. MAR technology had been proposed to address the local water shortages, with an initial aim to recycle stormwater for residential use including toilet flushing and indoor plant watering.
In their research, they asked residents what they thought of this idea. A majority expressed a positive attitude towards using recycled stormwater. However, this acceptance was very closely tied to the intended use of the water. When there was limited human contact, higher levels of support were received. Conversely, personal or clothes washing garnered hesitance.
Some key areas of distinction came out of the research, including:
- Quality – understandably, residents placed considerable importance on the perceived quality of the recycled stormwater. If there was colour or odour, then this significantly influenced their attitude.
- Psychological factors – altruism, perceived health risks, and emotions played a critical role in shaping attitudes. The value of the environmental benefits of stormwater reuse was high, with it viewed as a contribution to sustainability and water security. However, the concerns about health risks and discomfort of using recycled water for close contact were prevalent.
- Cultural values – China has a collectivist ethos, which also shaped acceptance levels. Residents often prioritised group benefits over individual preferences, leading to a high level of trust in government authorities to make sure the water was safe.
- Gender differences – this was only a modest influence on attitudes. Women are traditionally more involved in domestic water use, and they exhibited a slightly higher expectation around water quality, especially for close-contact applications. A higher trust in authorities was also reported to that of men. Generally, gender differences were minimal only with broad acceptance among both men and women.
This study highlights several important considerations for policymakers and project developers, including:
- Education campaigns – these must address the specific concerns about water quality and safety, and emphasise the rigorous treatment process involved in MAR.
- Start with non-contact applications – given the concerns about close-contact application, implementation should prioritise applications with limited human contact to build public trust and familiarity with recycled stormwater.
- Lean into the culture – while this element would particularly need testing in Australian culture, in China, policymakers can harness the collectivist culture by framing stormwater reuse as a collective effort toward sustainability and community wellbeing.
- Quality assurance – regular monitoring and transparent communication about water quality standards are essential to maintaining public confidence.
For the full paper, please visit > https://doi.org/10.2166/wst.2024.333
To follow up with Dr Wu > Zhifang.Wu@unisa.edu.au
