Appraisal of community awareness of water conservation and the importance of greywater as one of the solutions to reduce water wastage in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Abstract

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia depends mainly on desalinating seawater for its potable water needs due to the scarcity of natural water resources such as rainwater, rivers and lakes. With the high cost involved in the water desalination process and the state bearing a high percentage of these costs, it becomes a great necessity for the general community to be aware of the importance of water conservation. Reusing grey water in agriculture, industry, or even for potable water production has become an acceptable solution in many countries. Greywater reclamation and reuse have long been considered a favored strategy to overcome severe water scarcity in arid countries such as Saudi Arabia. However, the success of greywater reuse is highly dependent on end users accepting its consumption. This study aims to measure Saudi society’s awareness of the importance of water conservation and their knowledge and acceptance of the use of greywater. A comprehensive questionnaire was developed and distributed to 733 participants, of different age groups and qualifications, from different regions in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The results reveal that there is a clear lack of knowledge about water scarcity in Saudi Arabia as well as the potential use of greywater among the participants. According to the results, the majority of participants welcome the use of greywater for domestic purposes if it is economical. Finally, the paper recommends that more efforts be made to create awareness about the importance of greywater in the country and water conservation. Due to the lack of detailed research on greywater reuse and the extent to which Saudi society accepts this idea, this research becomes relevant in the present context