What Germany’s University Beginners Think about Water Reuse

Perception and acceptance towards water reuse in the Southeast United States: A public survey

The growing global water crisis has increased the need for alternative water sources. Among the potential solutions to mitigate the current challenging situation, water reuse has been considered and implemented, especially during the past decade. Public perception/acceptance represents one of the most common challenges related to the wide implementation of water reuse. To evaluate its public awareness and better understand the reasons behind the public skepticism for outdoor and indoor activities, a survey was conducted in the Southeast United States. The survey included open-ended questions, questions with five-point Likert scales, and multiple-choice questions. A total of 203 responses were considered for the final analysis. Participants, mostly in the 18-60 age range, hold at least a high school diploma (94 %). The age of the participants had an association with the knowledge related to the wastewater treatment method adopted in their household (chi squared, X2 = 28.8, p = 0.055). Participants 1) selected the U.S. EPA as the most credible organization in the field of drinking water, 2) were more willing to use recycled water for removing road dust, watering private yards or non-edible crops, public toilets, and firefighting than for watering edible crops/orchards or livestock feed, and 3) were reluctant to use recycled water when direct-human contact or ingestion can occur. While only 8 % were willing to use recycled water for drinking, the addition of further treatments combined with environmental regulations, frequent sampling campaigns, and educational activities highlighting possible treatments and potential benefits related to water reuse, will increase the participants' willingness to implement water reuse more widely.

Conceptions of university students on microplastics in Germany

Microplastics are a global challenge and a frequently studied environmental issue. Hence, the knowledge body about microplastics within the scientific community is growing fast and challenges an elaborated knowledge transfer from science to the general public. Just as well-informed people are the basis for reducing microplastics' impact on the environment, knowledge of the audience's conceptions is the basis for an accurate and successful dissemination of scientific findings. However, insights into the publics' perceptions of microplastics are still rare. The present study aimed to capture students' conceptions about microplastics based on their individual experiences following qualitative inductive, exploratory research. Therefore, 267 students of a state university in Germany responded to a paper-and-pencil questionnaire containing open and closed questions on microplastic-related conceptual understanding, risk perception, information behavior, sources, and sinks. The inductive classifying of all responses by a qualitative content analysis revealed six basic concepts: 1) Microplastics are mainly understood as small plastic particles. 2) Microplastics are closely associated with its negative consequences. 3) The most labeled source in households is plastic packaging. 4) Compared to other water bodies, microplastics are rarely suspected in groundwater. 5) A high threat awareness exists in classifying microplastics as very dangerous and dangerous. 6) Media such as TV or the Internet are the most crucial information sources while the school has less importance in acquiring information. It is precisely this pattern that indicates the need for profound science communication to establish a joint and scientifically sound knowledge base in society. Knowledge about conceptions of potential "customers" allows tailor-made scientific knowledge transfers to shape public awareness, initiate changes in thoughts and prepare the field for collaborative behavior.

The Potential Role of Hybrid Constructed Wetlands Treating University Wastewater—Experience from Northern Italy

University wastewater is a type of wastewater with higher pollutants load and flow rate variability than typical domestic wastewater. Constructed wetlands (CW) could be used for university wastewater treatment and consequently for wastewater reuse. A hybrid CW pilot plant, at the University of Bologna (Italy), was monitored to assess its potential to be used at the university. Its treatment performance was monitored for one year and public acceptance explored through a survey. The pilot plant had two treatment lines, (1) a vertical flow CW (VFCW) and a planted horizontal flow CW (HFCW), and (2) the same VFCW and an unplanted horizontal flow filter (HFF). The HFCW achieved higher removals than the HFF, but it was also found to be prone to higher water losses. However, both treatment lines met the Italian limits for discharge in natural water bodies and some of the limits for wastewater reuse in Italy and the EU. The VFCW alone was not able to meet the same limits, demonstrating the advantages of hybrid over single stage CWs. A positive attitude towards CWs and wastewater reuse was found among the survey participants. Therefore, hybrid CWs (planted and unplanted) are considered a feasible technology for application at universities.

Water reclamation and reuse

Literature published in 2018 pertinent to water reclamation and reuse has been classified into five topics: safe reuse, treatment technologies, management, assessment, and case studies. Researches have been conducted to develop new technologies and improve conventional treatments for achieving sustainable wastewater reclamation, and increasing efforts have been made to facilitate safe water reuse. PRACTITIONER POINTS: The way of publicity greatly influences people's acceptance of water reuse and willingness to purchase produce irrigated with recycled water. Integrated process is the most commonly used treatment technology to reclaim water. There is a lack of local or regional regulatory and policy for sustainable water management.