Integrating wastewater reuse into water management schemes of Caribbean SIDS: A Trinidad and Tobago case study

Abstract

Integrating Wastewater Reuse (WWRU) into national Water Management Schemes (WMS) is crucial as Small Island Developing States (SIDS) attempt to cope with water resource constraints in a changing climate. In 2022, the Global Environment Facility Caribbean Regional Fund (GEF CReW+) on Wastewater Management, the Ministry of Public Utilities (MPU), Trinidad and Tobago and the Trinidad and Tobago Bureau of Standards (TTBS) spearheaded the development of a national voluntary standard for treated wastewater reuse focused on agricultural and landscaping uses. During the process, the MPU conducted a Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices (KAP) and Willingness to Pay (WTP) assessment to inform the standard and subsequent implementation. Results indicated `good' knowledge on wastewater and WWRU (59.3%), however attitudes and practices were considered `poor'. Inferential Statistics performed on numerically coded survey response data revealed no statistically significant relation with the demographic factors assessed; 84.1% of respondents were willing to use treated wastewater with health concerns identified as the main barrier; 27.3% of respondents were willing to pay the same price as conventional water, while 31.2% were willing to pay 25 -50% less. This assessment can inform the implementation and pricing process and provide valuable insights to increase the uptake of WWRU in the region.