TY - JOUR
T1 - Vision and perception of community on the use of recycled water for household laundry
T2 - A case study in Australia
AU - Mainali, Bandita
AU - Pham, Thi Thu Nga
AU - Ngo, Huu Hao
AU - Guo, Wenshan
AU - Miechel, Clayton
AU - O'Halloran, Kelly
AU - Muthukaruppan, Muthu
AU - Listowski, Andrzej
PY - 2013/10/1
Y1 - 2013/10/1
N2 - This study investigates the community perception of household laundry as a new end use of recycled water in three different locations of Australia through a face to face questionnaire survey (n=478). The study areas were selected based on three categories of (1) non-user, (2) perspective user and (3) current user of recycled water. The survey results indicate that significantly higher number (70%) of the respondents supported the use of recycled water for washing machines (χ2=527.40, df=3; p=0.000). Significant positive correlation between the overall support for the new end use and the willingness of the respondents to use recycled water for washing machine was observed among all users groups (r=0.43, p=0.000). However, they had major concerns regarding the effects of recycled water on the aesthetic appearance of cloth, cloth durability, machine durability, odour of the recycled water and cost along with the health issues. The perspective user group had comparatively more reservations and concerns about the effects of recycled water on washing machines than the non-users and the current users (χ2=52.73, df=6; p=0.000). Overall, community from all three study areas are willing to welcome this new end use as long as all their major concerns are addressed and safety is assured.
AB - This study investigates the community perception of household laundry as a new end use of recycled water in three different locations of Australia through a face to face questionnaire survey (n=478). The study areas were selected based on three categories of (1) non-user, (2) perspective user and (3) current user of recycled water. The survey results indicate that significantly higher number (70%) of the respondents supported the use of recycled water for washing machines (χ2=527.40, df=3; p=0.000). Significant positive correlation between the overall support for the new end use and the willingness of the respondents to use recycled water for washing machine was observed among all users groups (r=0.43, p=0.000). However, they had major concerns regarding the effects of recycled water on the aesthetic appearance of cloth, cloth durability, machine durability, odour of the recycled water and cost along with the health issues. The perspective user group had comparatively more reservations and concerns about the effects of recycled water on washing machines than the non-users and the current users (χ2=52.73, df=6; p=0.000). Overall, community from all three study areas are willing to welcome this new end use as long as all their major concerns are addressed and safety is assured.
KW - Community
KW - End use
KW - Household laundry
KW - Perception
KW - Recycled water
KW - Vision
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84880392725&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2013.06.008
DO - 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2013.06.008
M3 - Article
C2 - 23842537
AN - SCOPUS:84880392725
SN - 0048-9697
VL - 463-464
SP - 657
EP - 666
JO - Science of the Total Environment
JF - Science of the Total Environment
ER -