Public Evaluation of Municipal Water Reuse Alternatives

Abstract

Models recommended for public involvement in environmental planning call for: 1) early and full involvement with technical planners from the start, 2) involvement at an intermediate phase once technical planners have developed a short list of the most feasible alternatives, and 3) later involvement only by ratification of the one alternative selected and developed by technical planners. The present study reports results assessing public involvement in planning at the intermediate phase using results from three general population surveys of the greater San Diego area done in 1989, 1990, and 1991 which dealt with municipal water reuse alternatives. Feasibility of the intermediate approach was demonstrated by correspondence between survey and technical planning evaluations and by consistency between and within survey findings.