Conceptualizing Equity for Onsite Nonpotable Water Reuse Systems in the United States

AbstractThere has been a push to adopt onsite nonpotable water reuse systems (ONWS) as a supplement for conventional centralized water infrastructure. While a majority of work has centered on developing the technology, we instead focus on the implications for equity when attempting wide-scale adoption. Using existing definitions and resources for water equity in the sector, we investigate ONWS in San Francisco and New York City, using semi-structured interviews conducted with stakeholders. A qualitative approach with thematic coding and sentiment analysis is used to explore how stakeholders perceive equity in relation to their work and the resulting social, economic, and environmental implications for ONWS. Results confirm a general sentiment—equity is necessary, yet it is unclear how to incorporate this concept into practice. In some instances, equity is viewed as secondary to utility planning, operation, and management; we propose that it should be incorporated intentionally as an approach to enhance service provision. This study has implications for literature and practice as it demonstrates how decision-makers in ONWS programs engage with the concept of equity. We demonstrate how stakeholders’ roles can impact their implementation of equity, and discuss how practitioners may use this work as foundational understanding in assessing internal operations and practices, improving infrastructure in the pathway to sustainable development. Practical ApplicationsThis study deconstructs the concept of equity into three constitutive pillars to enable more informed implementation strategies for the adoptions of onsite nonpotable water reuse systems. Data showed that stakeholders showed an interest in equity, however they stated that they did not know how to incorporate it into their work. By deconstructing equity into an economic, environmental, and social pillar, equity impacts can be assessed, measured, and achieved more readily. This study found that stakeholders look both within their organization’s impacts on equity, and externally at what others can do to help them achieve equity. The tradeoffs at the intersection of economic, environmental, and social equity are discussed. While the perfect balance was not discovered in this study, it emphasizes the need for future work to investigate the optimal scale and system configuration that can leverage who has access (social equity), who can afford these systems (economic equity), and the environmental benefits for