Nudging greywater acceptability in a Muslim country: Comparisons of different greywater reuse framings in Qatar

Abstract

With very low annual rainfall and increasingly depleted groundwater resources, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries are some of the most water scarce in the world and rely on growing quantities of desalinated water and Treated Sewage Effluents (TSEs) to meet their ever-increasing water demand. In Qatar, the government heavily subsidizes the desalination and retreatment processes, but the country’s demographic growth coupled with its high water consumption rate of 557 liters/day/inhabitant has led to increasing subsidy costs. These expenses are a concern for the government, especially as it tried to cut costs after the 2014 fall in oil prices. With little treatment, greywater (i.e. gently used water from showers, swimming pools, AC units, etc.) can replace more expensive TSEs or desalinated resources for several basic purposes such as landscaping or toilet flushing in hotels and new public buildings (e.g. mosques, universities, swimming pools). This study presents the findings of a national survey in Qatar that reveals that the country’s population can be highly accepting of greywater reuse depending on how people are introduced to the benefits of greywater. This study found that the framing of greywater reuse as a cost saving or as a water conservation measure generates the highest acceptance among both Qatari nationals and expatriates.