Abstract
Recycled drinking water represents one of the most obvious and technologically reliable sources of urban water. Yet it is one of the least implemented solutions. Blame has often been laid on the emotional and psychological difficulties of persuading people that recycled drinking water is safe to drink. This ‘yuck’ factor has been empirically identified as a statistically significant variable. But how are such factors perceived? And more importantly – can these perceptions be changed? This study attempts a quantitative study of public perceptions and norm formation in recycled drinking water. Using the Q methodology, which reveals the subjective perceptions of key stakeholders, we uncover the following discourses: (1) technology can change current paradigms; (2) ensuring a safe water supply is a problem that has an economic cost; (3) environmental and global realities make it imperative to recycle water. These findings confound two prevailing views – that the debate in recycled drinking water is one of science over emotions, and more information can ‘overcome’ the apparently irrational norm formation. Instead, we find no new information in this case. Rather what was present was a new interpretative frame that allowed a new narrative enabling the bridging of two previously contradictory positions – in this instance, the pro- and anti-water reuse discourses.
Highlights
There is broad agreement among water experts today that the current lack of water is less a physical limitation than the result of poor management or water governance
The UN has recommended the strategy of recycling waste water to waterstressed countries, citing the particular case of Singapore
This paper relies on institutional studies of perceptions, informal institutions, and institutional change, working off the premise that ideas are the key drivers of change
Summary
There is broad agreement among water experts today that the current lack of water is less a physical limitation than the result of poor management or water governance. This, in turn, is a function of other factors such as pricing, management, and infrastructure Within this broad area of water governance, there remains a relatively unexplored issue – why do people in cities still face a water shortage when they can use recycled water for drinking?. The case of Singapore presents a prima facie counterfactual to the prevailing view that the psychological barrier is an immutable one, a ‘social fact’ with its own logic that cannot be overcome by science and reason Investigating this change is not easy because of the challenges inherent in applying a quantitative analysis to such subjective factors as public perception, discourses, and narratives. This paper takes a quantitative approach by utilizing the Q methodology which allows the examination of subjective viewpoints and perceptions, in the specific case of Singapore in implementing its water-reuse policy. As climate change and global water scarcity take root, recycled drinking water is a way to ensure water supply
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
