The role of the community engagement towards the success of water reuse in isolated islands and tourist areas

Abstract

This paper presents and discusses the role of community engagement, i.e. attitudes of local stakeholders, engagement of elected officers and pricing, towards the success of water reuse on the island of Bora Bora, French Polynesia. To better preserve public health and overcome all constraints related to public perception, a membrane tertiary treatment was implemented for the production of high-quality recycled water. Consequently, the demand for the new recycled water has steadily increased during the last four years with a wide diversification of urban uses including irrigation, cleaning, industrial and commercial uses and fire protection. The primary keys to success of this water reuse scheme are the strong commitment of elected officers and large industrial users with the implementation of an adequate public communication and education programme. The resulting outcome is the public trust in recycled water and the recognition of the economic and environmental benefits of water reuse with perspectives for new water reuse projects.