Public Knowledge and Wastewater Management: A Case in San Francisco

Contemporary wastewater management requires greater engagement of the public for reasons beneficial to both the public and wastewater managers. Such engagement, however, is contingent upon the public's requisite knowledge of the wastewater system, and significant factors work against the public's ability or willingness to understand the system. Using data from four focus groups, and representative data from a survey of 803 households in a major urban wastewater system, this study measures residents' level of knowledge about the wastewater system. While a majority of respondents could accurately identify the sources of wastewater that enter the sewers and actually are treated, few could identify any other important aspects of the system or any actual problems it is currently facing. Their lack of knowledge implies their potential participation in wastewater management issues is limited, which in turn limits the wastewater managers' abilities to leverage public support or meet public preferences for the wastewater system. These results emphasize the need for wastewater managers to communicate with their communities in ways meaningful to them in order to reap the benefits of public engagement.