Factors Affecting Consumption of Water from a Newly Introduced Safe Drinking Water System: The Case of Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) Systems in Bangladesh

Abstract

Rather than committing exclusively to one drinking water option, households in Bangladesh often use a portfolio of sources that, in varying ways, to varying extents satisfy one or more out of several preferences they hold with regard to their drinking water. What happens if a new option is added to that mix? In communities of Bangladesh’ Southwestern coastal region where a new option (managed aquifer recharge, or MAR) was recently introduced, we observe variation in the extent to which this source contributes to satisfying households’ drinking water needs. Using multiple linear regression (n = 636 households), we found that perceived risk, costs, taste, self-efficacy, and form and intensity of competition with alternative drinking water options matter significantly.