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Public Acceptance of Treated Wastewater Reuse in the Agricultural Sector in Saudi Arabia

Author

Listed:
  • Fahad Alzahrani

    (Agribusiness and Consumer Sciences, College of Agricultural and Food Sciences, King Faisal University, Al-Ahsa 31982, Saudi Arabia)

  • Momtaz Elsebaei

    (Agribusiness and Consumer Sciences, College of Agricultural and Food Sciences, King Faisal University, Al-Ahsa 31982, Saudi Arabia)

  • Rady Tawfik

    (Agribusiness and Consumer Sciences, College of Agricultural and Food Sciences, King Faisal University, Al-Ahsa 31982, Saudi Arabia)

Abstract

This paper examines public acceptance of reusing tertiary treated wastewater for agricultural purposes in Saudi Arabia. Data were collected through an online self-administered questionnaire from adults in the Al-Ahsa Governorate. A total of 344 eligible participants completed the survey. The results show that 77% of the participants supported the reuse of treated wastewater in agriculture. Most participants supported reusing treated wastewater because they trusted the authorities responsible for wastewater treatment and because it will augment water resources in Al-Ahsa. Participants who did not support reusing treated wastewater attributed their lack of support to health risks associated with reusing treated wastewater and for psychological reasons. Additional analysis for eight different agricultural applications showed that most participants supported the reuse of treated wastewater in applications with no direct connection to them (e.g., irrigation of public parks, green spaces, and woody trees and irrigation of animal feed crops). However, less than half of the participants supported the reuse of treated wastewater for other applications, especially for the irrigation of leafy green, raw, and cooked vegetables. Therefore, raising public awareness about the safety of reusing tertiary treated wastewater in agriculture should be a priority for authorities responsible for water management in Saudi Arabia.

Suggested Citation

  • Fahad Alzahrani & Momtaz Elsebaei & Rady Tawfik, 2023. "Public Acceptance of Treated Wastewater Reuse in the Agricultural Sector in Saudi Arabia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(21), pages 1-14, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:21:p:15434-:d:1270536
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    2. Drechsel, Pay & Qadir, M. & Galibourg, D., 2022. "The WHO guidelines for safe wastewater use in agriculture: a review of implementation challenges and possible solutions in the global south," Papers published in Journals (Open Access), International Water Management Institute, pages 1-14(6):864.
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    4. Hanjra, Munir A. & Qureshi, M. Ejaz, 2010. "Global water crisis and future food security in an era of climate change," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 35(5), pages 365-377, October.
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    Cited by:

    1. Sotirios M. Michalopoulos & Ioannis K. Kalavrouziotis, 2025. "Treated wastewater reuse practices, under a holistic approach at the city scale," Operational Research, Springer, vol. 25(3), pages 1-22, September.
    2. Rady Tawfik & Khalid G. Biro Turk & Mohammad Alomair & Salah Sidahmed & Randah M. Alqurashi & Ammar Ebrahim & Mohamed El-Kafrawy & Sidiq Hamad & Emad Al-Karablieh, 2025. "Enhancing Treated Wastewater Reuse in Saudi Agriculture: Farmers’ Perspectives," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(17), pages 1-15, August.

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