AWWA SOURCES59203

Of all the hurdles that agencies face in developing and marketing effective water reuse programs, the most difficult is not science, funding or operations, it is often public perception. Regulators provide targets based on risk exposures often expressed in log removals or occurrences. But public perception is not based on science or reason but rather shaped by fear and ignorance. Reuse agencies, which invest enormous amounts of time and funding into producing safe recycled water, often find themselves unable to convince their customers that the water is "safe". Despite meeting all water quality parameters, many water-recycling agencies are unable to overcome the "toilet to tap" attack and find themselves unable to fully implement water-recycling projects in their service areas. But is the risk of exposure to recycled water greater than risks that we take everyday without concern? Are there risks that we accept as part of everyday life that are significantly greater than incidental consumption of small amounts of recycled water? Includes 3 references, table.