Exploring state-level messaging toward U.S. water reuse: a media analysis across time and space

A promising way to address such issues as water scarcity and nutrient pollution is water reuse. Its adoption, however, is often hindered by economic, technical, institutional, and social barriers. A key obstacle that previous studies have highlighted is public acceptance. This study, though, highlights a different prerequisite—institutional acceptance. In doing so, we used media analysis, including topic modeling and sentiment analysis of state and city news and government documents. In this fashion, we examined state-level institutional attitudes toward water reuse and identified patterns in media coverage that reflect shifts in institutional attitudes. Our findings indicate that media coverage of water reuse issues tends to surge roughly a decade before states implement related regulations. This finding suggests that increased media attention serves as an early signal of governmental interest. Additionally, this study finds evidence of policy diffusion, with states often, before ever creating their own regulations, drawing on federal policies or on the water reuse initiatives of pioneering states like California. This study shifts focus from public opinion to institutional attitudes, offering valuable insights into evolving state-level perspectives. Additionally, this work provides water utilities with a framework to enhance collaboration with local institutions and guides federal strategies to support states in the early stages of adopting water reuse practices.