Beyond technical: delineating factors influencing recycled water acceptability

Abstract

Globally, demand for water resources is projected to increase due to climate change and population growth. In many developing contexts, water demand already far exceeds supply and alternatives are already required. Recycled water is increasingly seen as a source of alternative water supply to plug demand-supply gaps. This study examined the factors that influence recycled water acceptance amongst residents of Accra, Ghana. We found that irrespective of the technical specifications on water quality, consumers were only willing to use recycled water for some purposes due to low levels of trust in water service providers because of their inefficiencies and unreliable service provision. Cultural beliefs relating to human waste and the ingestion of waste underlines peoples’ acceptability of recycled water. Thus, future water reuse planning must include community engagement at the planning stage to create the level of trust needed for reuse acceptability.