Water conservation within planetary boundaries: residents’ perception of recycled water use

Abstract

Fresh water use is one of the nine planetary boundaries that must not be transgressed if the earth must continue to exist. Climate change has necessitated the need for conservation of natural resources, including fresh water. Infrastructure provision for recycling water is one thing: accepting to use the recycled water is another. This paper assessed residents’ perception on recycled water use. It adopted a qualitative research design. Findings reveal that residents are willing to use recycled water, however, motivations of residents to use recycled water is different from the motivations suggested by the scientific community which focuses on climate change issues such as drought and conservation. The study recommends that water authorities should possess the required competencies for treating recycled water so that health risks associated with the use of recycled water can be minimized.