Issues Affecting Community Attitudes and Intended Behaviours in Stormwater Reuse: A Case Study of Salisbury, South Australia

Abstract

Stormwater has been recognised as one of the additional/alternative sources of water to augment freshwater supply and address the growing needs of humankind. South Australia has been a leader in the development of large-scale urban stormwater harvesting schemes in Australia for nearly 50 years and the Salisbury Local Government Area (LGA), in particular, is at the forefront of urban stormwater management and recycling, not only in the state of South Australia, but worldwide. This is mainly due to its pioneering achievements in stormwater capture and treatment through the managed aquifer recharge (MAR) process. However, there are many challenges in implementing water reuse strategies and past studies have identified public health concerns and public acceptance as major challenges. In line with this, our team conducted an internet survey to gauge the attitude and intentions of Salisbury LGA residents to use stormwater treated through the MAR process for non-potable uses. We found that respondents' emotions and perceptions of health risk, regarding the use of treated stormwater, were closely related to the proximity of the end use to human contact. In terms of quality indicators, colour, odour, and salt levels were all seen as being important. Quality preferences were also closely related to the proximity of the end use to human contact, and reflected the use of water for indoor/outdoor purposes.

Sustainable Water Systems

“…Moreover, Scott et al [9] thrashes out scenario planning to address critical uncertainties for robust and resilient water and wastewater infrastructures under conditions of water scarcity and rapid development. Scenario planning is essential for bringing stakeholders into agreement over highly complex problems, supporting the outcomes by Wu et al [8].…”

“…Recent problems affecting community attitudes and intended behaviors in storm water reuse are being discussed by Wu et al [8]. A case study located in Salisbury (Australia) is used to illustrate key issues.…”

“…Green infrastructure such as most sustainable drainage systems (or best management practices) trap storm water and sustain plants such as trees [8,10,11]. Particularly trees restore beauty and improve the air quality in cities, moderate energy flows and provide potential food sources.…”

“…Green cities focus on the restoration of natural cycles of water infiltration and evaporation through localized treatment and groundwater recharge via sustainable drainage systems, trees, parks, roof gardens and stream restoration [11]. Smart growth promoting patterns of neighborhood development interconnect nature and the built environment, preserving open space and respecting natural drainage flows [8,10].…”

“…Most sustainable water systems comprise novel combinations of traditional and new system components that mimic and work with nature [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11]. These systems protect public health and safety, and restore natural and human landscapes [11].…”