Mandated on-site wastewater reuse in San Francisco: the role of distributive fairness for policy acceptance

With increasing water scarcity worldwide, policies regulating wastewater reuse are becoming increasingly important. In San Francisco, on-site wastewater treatment and reuse is mandatory for large residential buildings, while other buildings continue using centralised systems without reuse. This disparity may affect perceived fairness and policy acceptance. In an online survey (N = 176), policy acceptance, perceived fairness, and perceptions of a range of policy implications were assessed for five societal groups and one entity: residents and owners of buildings with mandated on-site systems, San Francisco’s population, low-income residents, future generations, and the environment. Regression analyses showed that both positive and negative policy implications explained perceived fairness. Policy acceptance was explained by perceived fairness for future generations, San Francisco’s population, and building owners, but not other groups or entities. Results suggest that collective fairness considerations and impacts on most-affected groups are key to policy acceptance, indicating policymakers should consider implications across different societal groups when designing water reuse policies.