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Assessing Pro-environmental Behaviour in Relation to the Management of Pollution from Private Sewage Systems.
- Source :
-
Human Ecology: An Interdisciplinary Journal . Feb2015, Vol. 43 Issue 1, p131-140. 10p. - Publication Year :
- 2015
-
Abstract
- Recent studies suggest that 80 % of the estimated 1.5 million private sewage systems (PSS) in the UK are working inefficiently, potentially threatening drinking water quality and human health, as well as providing a significant source of phosphorus (P) to freshwater bodies, increasing vulnerability to eutrophication. In this report we explore pro-environmental behaviours of PSS users that potentially offer significant reduction in both PSS system failure and P discharge by 1) reducing P input to the PSS by modifying domestic behaviour, and 2) reducing the risk of PSS failure by improving maintenance of the PSS. A detailed questionnaire of 156 PSS users in the catchment of Loch Leven, Scotland, UK, revealed 70 % of users feel responsible for maintaining their PSS, 46 % are potentially maintaining them ineffectively, nearly 30 % have poorly installed systems and 45 % report their PSS had, at some point, blocked or overflowed. Our results indicate that the most effective action to improve PSS operation would be to provide better guidance on low P lifestyles and correct PSS maintenance with an improvement in the provision of facilities to support these pro-environmental behaviours. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 03007839
- Volume :
- 43
- Issue :
- 1
- Database :
- Academic Search Index
- Journal :
- Human Ecology: An Interdisciplinary Journal
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 101423002
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1007/s10745-015-9728-2