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METHODS article

Front. Water
Sec. Water and Human Systems
Volume 6 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/frwa.2024.1357921
This article is part of the Research Topic Water Supply Systems: Undermining Water Governance, Supply and Security View all articles

Navigating End-User Perceptions: Development and Initial Psychometric Properties of a Water Quality Perception Scale

Provisionally accepted
Toby N. Nelson Toby N. Nelson 1*Cristina Poleacovschi Cristina Poleacovschi 1Carl F. Weems Carl F. Weems 2Kaoru Ikuma Kaoru Ikuma 1Ivis García Ivis García 3Chris Rehmann Chris Rehmann 1
  • 1 Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, United States
  • 2 Human Development and Family Studies, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, United States
  • 3 Landscape Architecture and Urban Planning, Texas A and M University, College Station, Texas, United States

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Consistent and accurate measurement of public perceptions of water quality is useful for understanding water use behaviors, policy development/support, and community engagement, all essential for sustainable water management. Toward consistent and accurate measurement, we refined and examined the initial psychometric properties of a Water Quality Perception Scale (WQPS). In this study, we report an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) with 18 items on a group of respondents (N=154), which identified one primary factor, 'Individual Water Quality Perception,' consisting of 13 items and two additional factors represented by the remaining 5 items. Subsequently, a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was performed with (n=147 participants), including both original (n=74 assessed at a separate time from their original assessment) and new participants (n=73). The results of the CFA affirmed the initial loadings of the 13item WQPS in a single factor. The scale demonstrated internal consistency, with coefficients of 0.93 and 0.90 (Cronbach's alpha) in the two samples, and the measure showed convergent validity with the Household Water Insecurity Experiences Scale (HWISE), (r = -0.41 and -0.49 in the respective samples). This scale holds promise toward consistent and accurate measurement instrument for researching public perceptions of water quality, guiding policy and public initiatives to improve water management strategies.Avenues for further development and use are discussed.

    Keywords: Water quality perceptions, scale development, Water Insecurity, End-user perception, Factor analvsis

    Received: 19 Dec 2023; Accepted: 13 May 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Nelson, Poleacovschi, Weems, Ikuma, García and Rehmann. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Toby N. Nelson, Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, 50011, Iowa, United States

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.