Making water reuse safe: A comparative analysis of the development of regulation and technology uptake in the US and Australia

Abstract

Highly treated wastewater supplied for potable or non-potable purposes, or ‘water reuse,’ is a promising additional source of supply in water-scarce areas. However, the adoption of water reuse has been constrained by a lack of public acceptance of the technology, in particular for potable use. The development of regulatory frameworks for reuse may help to address safety concerns and support adoption. This paper investigates the interaction between regulation, public acceptance and technology adoption for potable reuse. It employs a Process Tracing methodology to analyse two country cases, the US and Australia, both of which have experience in successful adoption of potable reuse as well as examples of public resistance and abandonment of specific projects. The cases suggest that local, collaborative, transparent risk-based regulation contributes to increased acceptance of reuse among the public and government officials and supports take-up of the technology.