Managing Water Scarcity Futures: Identifying Factors Influencing Water Quality, Risk Perception and Daily Practices in Urban Environments after the Introduction of Desalination

Rubén Alejandro Villar-Navascués,Maria Christina Fragkou

doi:10.3390/w13192738

Abstract

During the last two decades on a global scale, there has been a significant development of desalination as a strategy to ensure the urban water supply in arid and semi-arid areas. Beyond issues related to the higher economic costs, one of the main barriers that may limit this water source’s development is its supposed negative water quality perception. This research aims to understand better which factors are behind water quality perception in Antofagasta (Chile), where desalinated water was introduced in 2003. Since then, this urban water supply system has increasingly incorporated desalination, creating three parallel areas according to the water sources used in each of them (desalinated water, freshwater and a mix of both). To do so, more than 800 questionnaires to test water quality perception and water consumption habits were conducted in households. Up to six logistic regression models have been implemented to identify which variables better explain water quality satisfaction, risk perception and daily water practices considering the water supply area. It is worth noting that most of this type of research has been carried out in study cases with homogeneous urban water supply systems with conventional water resources. Results indicate that, among other factors, organoleptic water characteristics, such as taste, and socioeconomic status are some of the main factors that explain the perception of water quality and daily practices. In addition, a lower water quality perception and greater risk perception have been identified where desalinated water has been introduced, which makes some households develop averting behaviors to improve water quality, such as boil water.

Highlights

Water availability is a vitally important factor in expanding and developing urbanization in coastal arid and semi-arid environments
Survey results indicate that in Antofagasta exists a poorly perception, expressed mainly in the low scores given to the organoleptic characteristics of water, especially taste, which presents an average score of 2.7 out of 7, while smell and transparency have been evaluated on average with 3.9 and 4.2, respectively
Previous studies have remarked that poor perception of tap water quality and safety may be explained by three different potential sources [20]: health-related contamination and the violation of legal quality standards; non-health-related but perceivable contamination due to the contaminants’ sensory qualities; or pure misperception by water users

Summary

Introduction

Water availability is a vitally important factor in expanding and developing urbanization in coastal arid and semi-arid environments. Thereunder, to guarantee water supply and reduce water shortages, different measures have been developed based on diversifying water sources and blending strategies, high investment to finance water conveyance from the hinterland or, more recently, seawater desalination [1]. Overall, these measures have contributed to increase water price and a perception of poor water quality by residents. These measures have contributed to increase water price and a perception of poor water quality by residents This mistrust in tap water quality is usually related to taste, water hardness or the presence of chlorine [2,3]. A low water quality perception can lead residents to over-finance additional expenses to improve water quality through averting behaviors as boiling or filtering tap water or purchasing bottled water [6,7]

Objectives

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Conclusion