The uptake of green infrastructure is challenged by a lack of access to financing. Studies have investigated individuals' economic valuation of green infrastructure but understanding public perceptions of a range of potential funding mechanisms is a fundamental step in developing funding measures. Using data collected from a sample of residents in the Oxford-Cambridge Arc, England, this study addresses a gap in our understanding of public perceptions of green infrastructure funding by investigating support for several funding mechanisms, and the extent to which support is associated with attitudinal, contextual and personal capability variables. Results indicate that respondents prefer the funding of small and large-scale infrastructure to be covered by developers, with most opposition being levelled at those involving additional financial obligations from citizens. Altruistic-biospheric values, pro-environmental behaviour and trust in the government significantly affected support. These findings provide valuable insight to policymakers attempting to introduce sustainable green infrastructure funding streams.

This study advances the discourse on the transition from a linear to a circular water paradigm, within which water is reused and resources such as nutrients and energy can be recovered. The research provides an empirical evidence from demonstrative cases, identifying the technological, economic, socio-cultural, and regulatory factors that facilitate or impede the broader adoption of circular solutions in the water sector. It proposes an integrated system approach, which encompasses a comprehensive set of enabling instruments, including (a) the demonstration of the sustainability of circular water technologies at a system level, thereby providing a robust proof of concept; (b) a shift from a conventional financial cost-benefit approach to a business model predicated on circular value chains, underscoring the economic feasibility of these solutions; (c) the enhancement of social acceptance through active stakeholder engagement, thereby fostering a supportive community for these transformative changes; and (d) the adaptation of the regulatory framework to incentivise circular water solutions, such as the establishment of dedicated end-of-waste criteria to facilitate market access for recovered resources. The study concludes that a concerted effort is required to reconceptualise our water systems as circular systems, and to legitimise the role of circular water within our society and economy. HIGHLIGHTS Water-embedded resources can be transformed into valuable and high-quality products such as reclaimed water, energy, and/or recovered nutrients.; A comprehensive package of technological, economic, socio-cultural, and regulatory support instruments is needed for the wider uptake of circular water solutions.; The circular water paradigm requires to rethink the system with its current legal and social norms and practices.;

In this research, we examine the relationship between customer satisfaction with water and wastewater services, demographic factors, communication with the utility, and perceived trustworthiness. Through a survey of the UK public ([Formula: see text]), we found that 77% of the respondents stated they were satisfied with their water and wastewater services. Statistical analysis highlighted significant demographic differences in the level of satisfaction, particularly by age, with higher satisfaction in older respondents. We found that the degree to which respondents think their water utility can be trusted to provide accurate information predicted satisfaction, as did more frequent engagement with a water utility’s social media. More frequently contacting a water utility or discussing water services with friends and family both negatively predicted satisfaction. Meeting the public’s expectations for accurate and timely information is coupled with their perceptions of a water utility’s trustworthiness and their satisfaction with water and wastewater services. Water utilities may increase the satisfaction of their customers through strategies and initiatives that are attentive to the credibility of the information they provide and the means through which they provide it. In summary, our research indicates that the water sector’s ambition to develop more diverse (and inclusive) customer engagement experiences, including through online platforms and social media, may deliver benefits (particularly with the less engaged and younger age groups across varying regional water governance contexts) that complement the overall efforts to build trust and satisfaction, but we acknowledge that these are complex long-term processes.

The provision and sustainability of water and sanitation services in many countries is compromised by poor accountability for investment and maintenance programmes. Previous work has largely been concerned with processes, tools, and initiatives which support wider accountability without considering the ways in which accountability is formalised in law and regulations. We use a structured content analysis of 17 legislative and policy documents from Uganda to identify the evidence for de jure accountability across 21 key water and sanitation functions using the following four accountability themes: rules, process, and standards; responsibilities and duties; performance monitoring; and corrective measures, incentives, and sanctions. Results indicate that there is a strong provision for accountability across two of the four themes but also weaknesses relating to lack of complaint mechanisms, limited stakeholder engagement in regulation formulation, and weak performance monitoring. These findings are contextualised by reference to previous work in the field with particular emphasis on the discontinuities between legal requirements and local initiatives.

Cities around the world are facing water availability challenges, intensified by increasing populations and climate change. Technology, such as household smart meters measuring domestic water consumption, can play a role in demand management, yet a deeper understanding of public expectations and the practicalities of city-wide implementation is required. This article explores public perceptions of smart water meters that use Internet of Things (IoT) technology and machine learning to profile household water use “events” and anomalies. By leveraging insights from an online survey implemented in the UK ( n = 558), this article explores factors influencing the likelihood of citizens choosing to have this type of meter installed along with potential societal barriers and opportunities. Nearly half of the participants said they would choose to have such a meter installed and logistic regression showed predictive variables were younger ages, being male, those with existing water meters and those with other smart devices. The likelihood of choosing this type of water meter was also associated with preferences to have control over data privacy, whether the meter would reduce water bills and whether it was provided free of charge. We locate these results within other contemporary experiences of smart meters and water grids in urban contexts to discuss practical challenges of using real-time environmental data for urban water governance. Policymakers and water resources planners should continue to monitor public perceptions, implement urban experiments and cost-benefit analyses to better interpret the wider benefits of such technology for behavioral and educational interventions within a more digitized and increasingly data-centric water grid.

The water sector has signalled the need to advance organisational and social resilience efforts. There is a lack of understanding of whether the organisational environment in water utilities is conducive to organisational resilience. Themes from interviews showcased challenges related to cognitive and contextual organisational properties. We identified a need to broaden the cognitive frame of utilities to account for flexible concepts of enhanced sense-making. We propose categories of organisational silos and a set of cultural attributes that contribute to organisational resilience. Interventions are needed to develop the cognitive, behavioural, and contextual properties of utilities that support organisational resilience.

Water service providers are being urged to incorporate customer preferences into their investment plans with the relative merits of different elicitation techniques being exposed to greater scrutiny. Though elicitation can be undertaken with a range of methods, there is little understanding of their comparative performance in terms of being able to generate consistent or commensurable outcomes. This study reports an evaluation of both intra and inter method consistency for three preference elicitation methods. Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient is used to measure consistency within and between elicitation methods and session transcripts provide additional evidence to support interpretation of the ranking process. Findings exposed low intramethod variation but significant variation in some intermethod comparisons. Discussion focuses on the internal dynamics of each method with conclusions calling for a wider range of methods to be studied so as to improve practitioner confidence in the use of these tools.

In Europe, wastewater is rarely subjected to the same political limelight as drinking water, despite being a strong driver of investment. As a result of this 'schism', wastewater has assumed something of a hidden role within the governance of the sector. In this chapter, we argue that the political economy of the European sector – and particularly the more recent debates around private vs. public ownership models – would benefit from closer engagement with the distinct features of wastewater services. We also argue that the wastewater sector could benefit from enhanced social and political awareness. Our analysis highlights two case studies – Paris and Ireland – which are two of the most highly politicized recent examples of dramatic shifts in governance arrangements. We conclude by highlighting how the potential value of the resources held within wastewater could help spur greater socio-political engagement and foster more creative thinking around models of management and ownership.

Non-potable recycled water schemes can benefit sustainable urban water management through reducing demand for drinking water and mitigating environmental loadings through the provision of advanced wastewater treatment. However, scheme feasibility can be diminished by high capital and operating costs which can be elevated by perceptions of health risks and subsequently overly cautious risk reduction measures. Conversely, a failure to anticipate the risk management expectations of stakeholders can undermine scheme feasibility through insufficient demand for recycled water. The aim of this study was to explore how stakeholders' perceptions and preferences for risk management and recycled water end-uses might influence scheme design. Using a case study scheme in London, four risk management intervention scenarios and six alternative end uses were evaluated using a stochastic PROMETHEE-based method that incorporated quantitative microbial risk assessment and stakeholder criteria weights together with an attitudinal survey of stakeholders' risk perceptions. Through pair-wise criteria judgements, results showed that stakeholders prioritised health risk reductions which led to the more conservative management intervention of adding water treatment processes being ranked the highest. In contrast, responses to the attitudinal survey indicated that the stakeholders favoured maintaining the case study's existing levels of risk control but with more stakeholder engagement. The findings highlighted potential benefits of understanding risk perceptions associated with different design options and contrasting these with multi-criteria model results. Extrapolating from these findings, future research could explore potential challenges and benefits of providing flexibility in scheme designs to appeal to a wider range of stakeholder needs as well as being more adaptable to future social, environmental or economic challenges. The study concludes that contemporary risk management guidance would benefit from more explicitly outlining constructive ways to engage stakeholders in scheme evaluation.

Ageing water infrastructure and population growth, issues that are characteristic of megacities, are likely to exacerbate water supply deficits in London. To address this threat, wastewater reclamation and non potable reuse can potentially close the supply-demand gap without impacting on environmental water bodies. There is a need to understand the types of challenges that diverse stakeholders face in relation to the governance of NPR schemes, and how those challenges might be addressed in a megacity context. A case study is used to explore these challenges for an operational sewer mining scheme in London, where reclaimed non-potable water is used for irrigation and toilet flushing at the site of the London 2012 Olympic Park. Through qualitative analysis of interview and document data, the results highlight that collaboration and learning opportunities are perceived as necessary to improve scheme governance. The findings indicate that formal and informal engagement activities centred on risk management can support the development of common understandings, build important inter-stakeholder relationships and help maintain trust. Non-potable reuse can contribute to the resilience of megacities through infrastructure diversification, but its feasibility will depend on the willingness of stakeholders to participate and continually negotiate new risk management practices. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Combined natural and engineered water and waste water systems (cNES) are nature-based solutions that utilise naturally occurring processes to remove impurities from water and therefore contribute to the ecosystem service of water quality enhancement. We hypothesise that these systems may also have a potential to deliver ecosystem services other than their primary purpose of water purification and we use spatially-explicit modelling tools to determine these benefits. We focused on three different types of cNES: bank filtration (BF), managed aquifer recharge/soil aquifer treatment (MAR/SAT), and constructed wetlands (CW), and combined the ecosystem services cascade, DESSIN and CICES conceptual frameworks with multiple InVEST 3.4.4 models to investigate the spatial distribution of intermediate ecosystem services within the sites as well as in the surrounding landscape. We also determined the role of habitats present within the sites in wider landscape's connectivity to the nearest Natura 2000 areas using the Circuitscape 4.0 model, assessed the public perception of the aesthetic value of two of the cNES technologies, i.e. CW and MAR/SAT, via an online survey, and linked the determined ecosystem services to their likely beneficiaries. Our results indicated that the sites characterised with semi-natural ecosystems had a good potential for ecosystem services provision and that the selected cNES technologies were favourably received by the public as compared to their engineered equivalents. We concluded that determination of ecosystem services potential from nature-based solutions, such as cNES technologies, should be done in consideration of various contextual factors including the type of habitats/ecosystems present within the proposed solutions, the location within the landscape as well as properties and ecosystem services potential of the areas surrounding the sites, all of which can be facilitated by deployment of spatially-explicit ecosystem service models at early stages of the planning process.

Water reuse is of increasing relevance for water-stressed regions but is often considered a contentious option. Research has shown that providing the public with information about reuse options can impact positively on its acceptability, although such impacts can be confined to specific groups. In this context, there is growing interest in understanding the impact of different forms and mechanisms of communication with the public around reuse. This contribution has investigated the use of video animations to communicate the safety of non-potable recycled water schemes. The aim of this study was to evaluate how different ways of framing messages about the safety of recycled water might impact on public attitudes. Participants were recruited in London (n = 689), UK, and randomly allocated to test and control groups, with the former being exposed to one of four video animations that used different frames to convey messages about recycled water safety. Surveys collected pre- and post-video message responses for dependent variables including the general acceptance of diverse non-potable recycled water uses, risk perceptions and trust. The findings complement existing knowledge on the impacts of different types of messaging on public attitudes to reuse schemes with important evidence for the positive impact of water safety communications framed in terms of compliance with water quality requirements. Contrarily, a positive attitudinal impact was not evident for safety message framed in terms of the selection of water treatment technology to remove contaminants nor in terms of non-potable water risks relative to other every-day risks. The results are of value to water resource planners looking to develop communication resources, as part of more comprehensive public engagement strategies, for improving perceptions of water reuse. Importantly, the findings help isolate the effects of specific message frames, and inform the debate on whether an increased understanding of risk positively or negatively influences willingness to support water reuse schemes.

The public is increasingly engaging with information about water reuse proposals through the Internet. Though there are benefits to engaging the public online, there may also be challenges associated with media bias or online advocacy. This study qualitatively examines the public response (online comments, n = 1323) to online news reporting an indirect potable reuse proposal for London. The study found no evidence of the media's framing of the event strongly shaping the unsolicited online public reactions. Findings suggest that though communications may struggle to counter longer-term news agendas, there may be benefits to experimenting with framing water safety measures and shorter-term gains.

This project implemented a participatory process with key stakeholders to evaluate current and potential future resilience-related investments in Jamaica Bay. The process was designed to consider baywide concepts that could reduce future flood risk exposure while also improving water quality, restoring habitat in and around the bay, and more generally improving resilience to extreme weather events.

This study re-analysed 14 semi-structured interviews with policy officials from the UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) to explore the use of a variety of regulatory instruments and different levels of risk across 14 policy domains and 18 separately named risks. Interviews took place within a policy environment of a better regulation agenda and of broader regulatory reform. Of 619 (n) coded references to 5 categories of regulatory instrument, ‘command and control’ regulation (n = 257) and support mechanisms (n = 118) dominated the discussions, with a preference for ‘command and control’ cited in 8 of the policy domains. A framing analysis revealed officials' views on instrument effectiveness, including for sub-categories of the 5 key instruments. Views were mixed, though notably positive for economic instruments including taxation, fiscal instruments and information provision. An overlap analysis explored officials' mapping of public environmental risks to instrument types suited to their management. While officials frequently cite risk concepts generally within discussions, the extent of overlap for risks of specific significance was low across all risks. Only ‘command and control’ was mapped to risks of moderate significance in likelihood and impact severity. These results show that policy makers still prefer ‘command and control’ approaches when a certainty of outcome is sought and that alternative means are sought for lower risk situations. The detailed reasons for selection, including the mapping of certain instruments to specific risk characteristics, is still developing.

Emerging Approaches and Issues in Regulation and Governance of Infrastructure Based Services Advance copy pending publication in ‘ICIF White Paper Collection’, UCL Press [TBC Winter 2016] 2 The fragmented, complex, and disconnected nature of arrangements within and between infrastructure sectors, along with increasing interdependence between sectors, is reshaping business models of infrastructure based services, prompting the emergence of new approaches to regulation and governance. Drawing on research experience in several infrastructure sectors and reflecting upon a series of workshops, the discussion focuses on emerging issues for the regulation and governance of infrastructure based services. A series of observations from across UK infrastructure are presented, and discussed within an international context. Three emerging areas of change in infrastructure delivery are highlighted: 1) a shift from asset-focused to service-focused delivery, 2) increased cross-sector interaction and 3) changing relationships with(in) the supply chain. The presented argument is that while regulatory changes are gradually pushing the boundaries of existing arrangements, infrastructure governance has seen more extensive changes through the introduction of more and non-traditional actors; and platforms and means for coordination between (public and private) actors. The shift in focus to infrastructure service provision supports the case for improved cross-sector co-ordination, recognising infrastructure services as a bundled consumer good, and address challenges that are common across sectors, such as climate change. Digital platforms provide opportunities to engage directly with consumers and understand the aggregate value and impacts of bundled infrastructure services. Across sectors, there are opportunities and requirements for closer, more open and responsive relationships between infrastructure providers and regulators, which challenge existing imperatives for regulatory independence and certainty. Focusing on infrastructure provision, policy-making and regulation in the UK and internationally, we bring to light recent innovations, tensions and opportunities for the future of infrastructure provision in the UK.