Responsible research and innovation (RRI) is a comprehensive approach that integrates ethical, social, and environmental considerations into the research and innovation process. It prioritizes collaboration, transparency, and active stakeholder engagement to ensure that technological advancements align with societal values and needs. While RRI has predominantly focused on consumer-oriented innovations within the free market, there remains a significant gap in addressing the ethical and societal implications of large-scale infrastructures.

As climate change and population growth intensify pressure on vital societal infrastructure like water systems, the necessity for innovation becomes increasingly evident. One such innovation proposal involves repurposing wastewater for drinking water, a technique met with scepticism and controversy among the public. Nonetheless, cities like San Diego, Phoenix, and Scottsdale have chosen to integrate water reuse systems into their water management strategies. The cities developed extensive public outreach programs to counteract public resistance to these initiatives. These outreach efforts have often positioned these cities as exemplars for potable water reuse implementation.

This research seeks to understand how the public is included in these cases, how much the RRI principles are adhered to and what aspects are missing. By evaluating the public outreach strategies employed by these cities, we uncover that large-scale infrastructures such as water systems pose significant limitations on how the RRI principles can be adhered to. This shows the need for more research and development of frameworks that are geared towards this type of technology innovation.