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How Australians order acceptance of recycled water

National baseline data

Flinders University Adelaide, june.marks{at}flinders.edu.au

Bill Martin

Flinders University Adelaide, bill.martin{at}flinders.edu.au

Maria Zadoroznyj

Flinders University Adelaide, maria.zadoroznyj{at}flinders.edu.au

Ensuring adequate water supplies in urban Australia is a problem of considerable concern to State and federal governments. A variety of technical solutions are available, including water recycling. While there has been policy support for water recycling, public perceptions are seen by industry stakeholders as a significant impediment to the implementation of recycled water schemes. This article reports baseline data on attitudes to water recycling and its uses in a representative sample of Australians from major urban areas. Sociological frameworks for interpreting the results focus on understanding how people assess the risks associated with recycled water. Three perspectives are outlined, and their consistency with the survey results is analysed. The epistemologically realist view, often the fallback of water professionals and policy makers, is shown to have limited applicability. An interpretation focused on the cultural meanings associated with different forms and uses of water is found to be consistent with many aspects of Australians' expressed views about water recycling, as is a view focused on the `risk society' thesis. The article considers the implications of these findings.

Key Words: Australian public attitudes • risk • water recycling

Journal of Sociology, Vol. 44, No. 1, 83-99 (2008)
DOI: 10.1177/1440783307085844


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