Community acceptance of recycled water: can we inoculate the public against scare campaigns?

Abstract

Without improved water resource management, it is predicted that water shortages will affect two-thirds of humanity by 2025. One solution that has traditionally faced fierce public resistance is recycled waste water. This study investigates the extent to which public communication strategies can influence community acceptance of recycled water, using the framework of Inoculation Theory. A four-phase experimental design was conducted. Participants completed an initial questionnaire and were then randomly assigned to a control group, a manipulation check group or a treatment group. A final follow-up survey measured changes in the dependent variable: stated likelihood of using recycled water for different uses. Results indicate that communication strategies based on Inoculation Theory are limited in their effectiveness for this product category. Findings do, however, identify a clear recency effect, indicating that continuous public communications are key to ensuring that community scare campaigns do not prevent implementation of water augmentation projects. This study differs from previous applications of Inoculation Theory because of the challenges associated with marketing a monopoly commodity, which is a necessity to support life. This empirical study uses fictional marketing stimuli to test the theory in a context, which is growing in global importance. AbstractWithout improved water resource management, it is predicted that water shortages will affect two-thirds of humanity by 2025. One solution that has traditionally faced fierce public resistance is recycled waste water. This study investigates the extent to which public communication strategies can influence community acceptance of recycled water, using the framework of Inoculation Theory. A four-phase experimental design was conducted. Participants completed an initial questionnaire and were then randomly assigned to a control group, a manipulation check group or a treatment group. A final follow-up survey measured changes in the dependent variable: stated likelihood of using recycled water for different uses. Results indicate that communication strategies based on Inoculation Theory are limited in their effectiveness for this product category. Findings do, however, identify a clear recency effect indicating that continuous public communications is key to ensuring that community scare campaigns do not prevent implementation of water augmentation projects. This study differs from previous applications of Inoculation Theory because of the challenges associated with marketing a monopoly commodity which is a necessity to support life. This empirical study uses fictional marketing stimuli to test the theory in a context which is growing in global importance.

Evaluating media framing and public reactions in the context of a water reuse proposal

“…These claims are supported by previously suggested benefits of promoting public deliberations around the water cycle (Lyytimaki & Assmuth, 2014) and water safety (Russell et al, 2008). Building these narratives may help counter longer-term agendas being set by the media or other stakeholders and contribute to the continuous communication needed to build public understanding (Kemp, Randle, Hurlimann, & Dolnicar, 2012).…”

“…There was limited attention to short-term benefits across all data, and the comments did not reflect the articles' framings of the longer-term benefits of water resource management planning. This could relate to people tending to concentrate on more immediate concerns, such as health risks, instead of longer-term benefits, such as water security for future generations (Kemp et al, 2012). The implication of the findings of this study is that promotion of IPR schemes in the media may be aided by the better articulation of more immediate or tangible benefits to help improve public perceptions.…”

“…Unsolicited online commentary therefore presents an opportunity for insight into public responses to real-world reuse scenarios. Though public responses to individual fictional news articles have been studied (Kemp, Randle, Hurlimann & Dolnicar, 2012), the influence of actual media reporting on public responses to a real water reuse proposal has not yet been examined. This study responds to calls for more in-depth considerations of the influence of media reporting on public responses to water reuse (Leong, 2010;Lyytimaki & Assmuth, 2014) and the potential benefits of media monitoring for developing responses to public concerns or to negative reporting .…”

How Governance Regimes Shape the Implementation of Water Reuse Schemes

“…Effective communication with stakeholders is of crucial importance for water reuse initiatives to be successful [30]. Although, except for a few key messages that are always important, such as "water is always reused", there is no silver bullet when it comes to the structure and content of information messages on water reuse, an understanding on the perceptions and concerns of the target audience is a precondition for an effective communication strategy, as the messages need to be tailored to each specific group of stakeholders.…”

Communications on Technological Innovations: Potable Water Reuse

“…These elements are essential to ensure that projects are assessed more objectively, based on their impacts and benefits, rather than by the source of the water. This is critical so that water augmentation projects, which may be necessary for water security, do not stall [17].…”