Influence of various factors on public perception towards WWTPs in Meru County (Kenya)

Effective wastewater management is among the Sustainable Development Goals’ 6.2 targets as it ensures proper disposal of wastewater, nature conservation, and promotion of health. Although Government efforts in supporting establishment of waste water treatment plants have been shown, the projects are at times rejected by the community leading to wastage of resources, unsolved sewage disposal problems, and diseases. This study examined the influence of social, cultural and environmental factors on public perception toward sewerage treatment plants in Meru County, Kenya, whose solutions have often been facing community rejection. A mixed methods approach was used with a convergent study design on a sample of 394 and cluster and simple random sampling techniques employed. Quantitative data was collected from households using structured questionnaires and analysed in descriptive statistics and in logistic regression using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 26. Qualitative data was obtained from focus group discussions and analysed thematically. Overall, public perception towards sewerage treatment plants was negative. Increased literacy level increased the likelihood of positive perception by 1.09 as residents would understand thus appreciate the roles played by the treatment plants (adjusted OR=1.09, 95% CI: 0.52-3.45, P=0.008). Perception varied with age with people aged > 50 years being 2.78 times more likely to exhibit positive perception towards the treatment plants compared to those aged 18-28 years (P<0.05). Community participation was key and its presence or absence determined residents’ perception (adjusted OR=5.95, 95% CI: 1.29-5.24, P=0.002). Women’s perception was likely to be more positive than for men, attributable to the fact that they bore the basic responsibility of sanitation and hygiene and care giving roles and availability of sanitation solutions would mitigate health risks for them and their children. Participants residing near the plants were concerned of odour and the impacts of the plants on soil contamination (adjusted OR=0.75, 95% CI: 0.86-3.06, P<0.001). The fear of underground seepage and concerns on the quality of air due to pollution significantly lowered perception by 52% and 60% respectively (P<0.05). The study concluded that public perception towards the treatment plants was affected by the interplay between social, cultural and environmental factors. The study recommends community involvement in all implementation stages for increased acceptance, ownership and trust of sanitation solutions by beneficiaries. Reconnaissance studies that focus on understanding cultural issues for provision of context-specific sustainable solutions are also needed. Besides, policies that substantiate environmental awareness are critical for sustainable solutions.