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Water Reuse in Corvallis: A model of public acceptance

Water Reuse in Corvallis: A model of public acceptance. Karen DuBose March 11, 2009. The Situation. Corvallis’ wastewater treatment plant will exceed its TMDL water quality requirements as the city grows. Wastewater recycling is an excellent solution No need to discharge into the river

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Water Reuse in Corvallis: A model of public acceptance

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  1. Water Reuse in Corvallis:A model of public acceptance Karen DuBose March 11, 2009

  2. The Situation • Corvallis’ wastewater treatment plant will exceed its TMDL water quality requirements as the city grows • Wastewater recycling is an excellent solution • No need to discharge into the river • Advances the city’s sustainability ethic

  3. Goals of this study • Discover what factors influence the public acceptance of water reuse in Corvallis • Make recommendations to the city about how to pursue a wastewater recycling project

  4. Factors that have been found to influence public opinion • Age • Gender • Education • Income • Occupation • Length of residence • Degree of contact • Prior knowledge of water reuse • Awareness of water problems • Presence of children • Trust in local public utility • Health effects • Environmental effects • Cost of project • Public opinion of reuse

  5. Methods • December 2008 survey of registered voters, 46% response rate • 19 questions, six were demographic • Multiple linear regression

  6. A model of public acceptance in Corvallis Acceptance = β0 + β1(Informed) + β2(Knowledge) + β3(Aware) + β4(Sustainability) + β5(Trust) + β6(Gender) + β7(Age) + β8(Children present) + β9(Education) Dummy variables: knowledge, aware, gender, age, children present

  7. Measuring knowledge

  8. Measuring sustainability ethic

  9. Acceptance of recycled water uses

  10. Percentage of respondents choosing "very favorable" or "favorable" for various recycled water uses.

  11. Grouping uses of recycled water • Factor analysis looks for patterns in responses • 3 groups of recycled water uses: • High contact (irrigate schools, public parks, edible crops) • Low contact (irrigate business parks, golf courses, non-edible crops, use in industrial processes) • Other uses (building cooling, toilet flushing, fire hydrants, car washes) • Factor scores were used in 3 regressions, one for each group

  12. Regression coefficients for factors of water reuse acceptance P-values for the coefficients are in parenthesis. Red values are significant at 95%; * denote significance at 90%.

  13. Policy implications • City should pursue water reuse; there is high acceptance of most uses • Low contact uses are most accepted • Make sure a program adheres to the principles of sustainability • Educate public about wastewater treatment, water reuse, technologies, and reason for water reuse • If high contact uses are chosen, make a special effort to include women

  14. Study limitations • Results should be considered hypothetical • Studies show that factors influencing acceptance change when specific plans are presented • Little information about water reuse was presented due to space • Many respondents stated they wanted more information

  15. Questions? Support provided by Institute for Water and Watersheds Master of Public Policy Program

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