The Future Taste of Water was a temporary exhibit displayed at Canal Convergence (2022), ASU Emerge: A Festival of Food Futures (2022), and the Phoenix MLK Day Festival (2023). Co-designed with water industry employees and people who distrust tap water, the exhibit promoted curiosity and discovery about the potential to incorporate wastewater into the drinking water supply, a process known as direct potable reuse (DPR).
The purpose of this research was to increase public participation in decision-making about this important water supply change. DPR often provokes disgust, and discussions about appropriate treatment can quickly turn technical. Through co-design, we were able to identify the most salient knowledge — both technical and experiential — that people seek about DPR.
Over 1,100 people visited the exhibit. Feedback was gathered in several ways to share with water policymakers. At the entrance and exit, attendees were asked to vote for how they would like wastewater to be used. Attendees were invited to sample the drinking water of the future, simulated DPR water, alongside samples of conventional tap water and record the emotions, memories, and questions associated with these on a public display.
Principal Investigator: Marisa Manheim
Co-Investigators: Christy Spackman
Spanish Interpreter: Laura Dicochea
Original Art: Matthew Thornton (soundscape), Joe Austin & Qyania Jimenez (animation)
Students: Asha Ramaswamy, Oluwabukola Makinde, Katie Thompson