Willingness to pay for recreational benefit evaluation in a wastewater reuse project. Analysis of a case study

The study deals with the evaluation of the recreational benefit of a reclaimed water reuse project in the municipality of Ferrara, north Italy, by means of the contingent valuation method. It also provides an analysis of the public acceptance of the project, determined by eliciting the willingness of the local people to contribute to the realization of this project in monetary terms (their willingness to pay). The project involves the upgrade of the existing wastewater treatment plant by conventional (rapid sand filters) and natural (constructed wetland) treatments. The latter will be constructed within the urban park surrounding the wastewater treatment plant area and will combine the objectives of both wastewater treatment with recreational services, since they will create equipped green areas open to the public. The study is based on the answers provided by 400 respondents, who are residents in the four districts of the municipality of Ferrara. It emerges that willingness to pay is strongly influenced by the socio-economic characteristics of the respondents, with an amount on average of 48 €/family.