Analysis of Socioeconomic, Psychological, and Moral Factors in Shaping Public Trust in Water Recycling Initiatives

Abstract

As water scarcity becomes more common, water recycling initiatives are becoming more important. When considering water recycling, public trust in the initiatives is crucial for success. To address this, we investigate the factors influencing public trust in water recycling using a nationally representative sample in the United States and find that socioeconomic factors such as income, gender, and geographic location play a significant role, with higher-income individuals, men, and those living in suburban areas showing more trust in water recycling. Self-assessed health and happiness are also positively associated with trust. Social capital increases trust, while conspiracy theory belief strongly decreases it. The moral foundations of loyalty and purity are significant predictors, with loyalty increasing trust and purity decreasing it. Interestingly, climate change beliefs, such as trust in climate scientists, influence the respondent’s trust in water recycling, while belief in climate change risks, worry about global warming, and perceived personal/future harm from global warming do not. Fear, including fear of environmental disasters, has no significant influence on trust in our survey. These findings in the initial SPEER 2023 survey begin to provide insight for water management policies and public outreach strategies, highlighting the need to consider a wide range of socioeconomic, psychological, and moral factors when building trust in water recycling initiatives.