Water. desalination + reuse

October 2017 Water Reuse: Drivers, Innovations and Public Perceptions Water scarcity is by far the most important driver of water reuse globally, with cost a strong second, while regulation and technological drivers are con- sidered more neutral factors Survey respondents were asked to rank five factors according to how strong a driver of water reuse projects they considered the factor to be. Water scarcity scored highest, having 68.94 per cent of respondents ranking it as either a "strong" or "very strong" driver of reuse. The score was highest among respondents working in the Americas, at 3.98 out of a possible five, compared to 3.79 for the respondent set overall. For this group, 75.21 per cent rated water scarcity as a "strong" or "very strong" driver. The score is high for those focusing on municipal work as well, at 3.94. Out of 132 respondents whose roles apply to the Americas, 88 signalled that their work also covers the municipal sector. The score for water scarcity as either a "strong" or "very strong" driver among this sub-group was 75.31 per cent, likely reflecting the rise of reuse as part of the municipal water supply network across the US. Cost drivers ranked in second place overall, scoring 3.52 out of five. The distribution of scoring tended to be more even across "mid-level", "strong", and "very strong", compared to water scarcity, which attracted more ratings as a "very strong" driver. Cost was scored most highly as a driver by respondents working in Middle East and Africa (MEA), at 3.65, and lowest in Europe, at 3.5. However, the respondents working in MEA tended to score cost more evenly, and 60.25 per cent rated it "strong" or "very strong". Among the respondent set overall, 62.25 per cent opted for "strong" or "very strong", and it was 63.51 per cent for Asia Pacific, 61.98 for the Americas, and in Europe, 58 per cent, indicating that cost is a significant driver globally. Respondents working in all regions ranked water scarcity as the most important driver, followed by cost. However, there were regional variations in the rankings for the final three drivers in the list. Regulatory drivers for potable reuse was ranked third most important driver overall, scoring 3.24 out of a possible five. The ranking was the same among respondents working in the Americas and MEA, indicating that new rules and guidance may be supporting reuse in these regions. By contrast, for respondents working in Asia Pacific and Europe, regulatory drivers for non-potable reuse was the third highest-scoring driver, suggesting active industrial reuse markets are driven by regulation in these regions. Those working in MEA ranked regulatory drivers for non-potable reuse in fi–h place, as the least most important factor. In all other regions technological drivers came last, while one commenter in Europe suggested that technology was "an enabler rather than a driver". • Respondents in the Americas scored water scarcity the highest • Cost was scored most highly by those working in the Middle East and Africa • Regulatory drivers for non- potable reuse are strong in Asia Pacific and Europe How do you rate the following as drivers of water reuse in your markets to date? Ranking of drivers of water reuse Driver Score Water scarcity drivers 3.79 Cost drivers 3.52 Regulatory drivers (potable) 3.24 Technological drivers 3.20 Regulatory drivers (non-potable) 3.12 50 40 30 20 10 0 50 40 30 20 10 0 Water scarcity drivers Cost drivers Score 3.79 Score 3.52 Very weak Very weak Weak Weak Mid-level Mid-level Strong Strong Very strong Very strong Not a driver Not a driver Don't know Don't know 3.24% 4.53% 7.77% 8.41% 14.56% 22.33% 28.16% 27.83% 40.78% 30.42% 1.94% 2.59% 3.56% 3.88% Percentage Percentage Drivers WHAt tHE SCoRES MEAn 1 very weak driver 2 weak driver 3 mid-level driver 4 strong driver 5 very strong driver All RESPonDEntS: 309

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