Citizen perception of indirect potable reuse during drought emergencies in Europe: the case of metropolitan Barcelona

ABSTRACT Social acceptance of indirect potable reuse (IPR) in the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona (MAB) during the severe drought event of 2021–2025 is investigated in this paper through a survey (N = 700) of MAB residents. The analysis identifies the factors shaping perceptions, showing that support for purified recycled water is high (68.0%) and positively associated with the perceived severity of the drought and the degree of information about the event. The primary concern among the subgroup expressing apprehension about purified recycled water (29.6%) is the potential effects on health (96.1% of the concerned subgroup), followed by concerns over price (85.5%) and over taste/odour (78.7%). Sociodemographic factors play an important role in understanding perceptions, with women consistently showing lower support and significantly greater concern for potable reuse. We identify an association between bottled water consumption in Barcelona and concern over IPR. We suggest that drought emergencies create a temporal ‘window of opportunity’ for implementing IPR and that policymakers need to acknowledge public perceptions to improve communication messages if IPR is to become a new source of water in Europe.