Value-Sensitive Design of Potable Water Reuse: Aligning Academic Research with Societal Concerns.

As global water scarcity worsens, potable water reuse is increasingly considered a vital solution for augmenting water supplies. However, public acceptance remains a significant barrier, presumably because of a misalignment between the public values reflected by these systems and those that are held...

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Publicado en:Science & Engineering Ethics Vol. 31; no. 4; pp. 1 - 28
Autores principales: Moesker, Karen, Wiarda, Martijn
Formato: Literature Review
Publicado: Springer Nature Aug2025
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Acceso en línea:Ver este registro en EBSCOhost
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        atl: Value-Sensitive Design of Potable Water Reuse: Aligning Academic Research with Societal Concerns.
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        au:
          Moesker, Karen
          Wiarda, Martijn
        affil:
          https://ror.org/02e2c7k09 Department of Values, Technology and Innovation, Delft University of Technology, Jaffalaan 5, 2628 BX, Delft, The Netherlands
          https://ror.org/02c2kyt77 Department of Industrial Engineering and Innovation Sciences, Eindhoven University of Technology, Group Technology, Innovation & Society, Het Eeuwsel 53, 3600 MB, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
      su:
        Drinking water
        Water purification
        Water shortages
        Water supply
        Social desirability
        Water reuse
      sug:
        subj:
          Drinking water
          Water purification
          Water shortages
          Water supply
          Social desirability
          Water reuse
      keyword:
        Advanced water purification
        Direct potable reuse
        Indirect potable reuse
        Responsible research and innovation
        Value-sensitive design
        Water recycling
      ab: As global water scarcity worsens, potable water reuse is increasingly considered a vital solution for augmenting water supplies. However, public acceptance remains a significant barrier, presumably because of a misalignment between the public values reflected by these systems and those that are held by the communities that these systems intend to serve. This study explores this potential misalignment by systematically identifying and analysing the most prevalent values inscribed in academic research on potable water reuse. We employ a mixed-methods approach, combining probabilistic topic modelling with thematic analysis of 2940 academic publications to identify and conceptualise latent values discussed in the literature. Our findings suggest that the values 'reliability', 'sustainability', 'health', and 'safety' are most prevalent but that their conceptualisation remains largely ambivalent. For example, sustainability exhibits an ambivalent relationship with safety, sometimes conflicting and sometimes supporting, depending on the research perspective. Crucially, this research demonstrates a predominantly technocentric understanding of these values. While this technical focus is undeniably important, it also risks overlooking broader societal concerns and other value interpretations. This research highlights the need for a more value-sensitive approach to ensure a more responsible potable water reuse, incorporating a wider range of public values to promote the system's social and ethical desirability.
      pubtype: Academic Journal
      doctype: Literature Review
      src: R
    language: English
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