Interview H.M. Smith and J.A.G. Frijns - Social acceptance of water reuse isn't the biggest challange, finds surveys

“European surveys have revealed that the perceived “yuck factor” typically predicted as a public reaction to wastewater recycling may not be as bad as thought. An anticipated negative perception of water recycling, or wastewater reuse projects, is frequently cited as a stumbling block when delivering large-scale water recycling projects. However, the surveys have revealed that the public is more open to wastewater recycling than the water sector has historically believed. Distributed to over 2500 participants in the UK, Spain and the Netherlands, surveys carried out by Cranfield University focused on the use of recycled water for drinking purposes, and the use of recovered nutrients to grow food. The intention was to find up-to-date views on the state of acceptance of wastewater recycling (direct potable reuse), especially with more projects coming online. The results showed that in the Netherlands, 75% of respondents supported, or strongly supported the use of recycled water for drinking, compared to 67% in the UK, and 73% in Spain.”

(Citation: Interview H.M. Smith and J.A.G. Frijns – Social acceptance of water reuse isn’t the biggest challange, finds surveys – www.cranfield.ac.uk (2021)30 November)