Are long-held beliefs and taboos on recycled water reducing in Southern Africa?¹

A sample of 1,114 households in three countries located in the Limpopo River Basin was surveyed to investigate willingness to use (WTU) and willingness to pay (WTP) for different quality attributes of recycled water. The results indicate that 36% of the households are willing to use recycled water for potable uses and only 70% are willing to use it for non-potable use such as gardening. WTU recycled water was found to be associated with gender, age, education, occupation and perception of quality of water from the main source. Households are willing to pay 76% of the price of standard water for improved quality in recycled water with no colour.