The BOOST-IN project, in collaboration with the AccelWater project, successfully hosted a “Region of Opportunity” workshop on April 2, 2025, in Patras, Greece, to address the critical social perception barriers hindering the adoption of advanced water treatment and reuse solutions. The event brought together a diverse group of citizens, researchers, and industry representatives to foster a dialogue on building public trust and acceptance.
The workshop, organised by project partner AGENSO, focused on identifying the primary challenges related to the public perception of water reuse. Through collaborative sessions, stakeholders pinpointed three main obstacles:
-
Safety and Quality: Persistent public concerns regarding the safety and quality of treated water.
-
Lack of Knowledge: A significant gap in public understanding of modern water treatment technologies.
-
Low Awareness: Insufficient public awareness about pressing water scarcity issues.
In response to these challenges, participants co-created a set of strategic actions aimed at building a foundation of trust and encouraging the adoption of circular water solutions. The key proposed actions include:
-
Increase Public Awareness: Launch targeted educational campaigns and outreach programs to inform citizens about water scarcity and the benefits of water reuse.
-
Improve Access to Technical Knowledge: Make complex technical information about water treatment processes more understandable and widely accessible to the general public.
-
Strengthen Government Support: Advocate for more robust government initiatives and regulatory alterations that promote and incentivize water reuse
To see the discussions and insights from the event, audio-visual materials have been published on the project’s official YouTube channel at this link.
