Global NEST Journal, Vol 24, No 2, pp 254-261 Copyright© 2022 Global NEST Printed in Greece. All rights reserved Mela A., Alexakis D.E. and Varelidis G. (2022), Investigating public awareness towards wastewater management in a small community, Global NEST Journal, 24(2), 254-261. Investigating public awareness towards wastewater management in a small community Mela A. 1 *, Alexakis D.E. 2 and Varelidis G. 1 1 Laboratory of Urban Planning and Architecture, Department of Civil Engineering, School of Engineering, University of West Attica, 250 Thivon & P. Ralli Str., 12241 Athens, Greece 2 Laboratory of Geoenvironmental Science and Environmental Quality Assurance, Department of Civil Engineering, School of Engineering, University of West Attica, 250 Thivon & P. Ralli Str., 12241 Athens, Greece Received: 29/10/2021, Accepted: 25/02/2022, Available online: 05/05/2022 *to whom all correspondence should be addressed: e-mail: amela@uniwa.gr https://doi.org/10.30955/gnj.004151 Graphical abstract Abstract A critical element for the successful management of wastewater in small communities is the active participation of its residents in all stages of treatment in order to ensure public acceptance. The primary purposes of this study are to identify and analyze the specific views and attitudes of the inhabitants of Leros Island, Greece, regarding (a) the performance of the wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) operating on Leros Island, (b) their level of awareness on natural wastewater treatment systems, and (c) their willingness to accept a natural wastewater treatment system. This study emphasizes the significance of a participatory approach to construct sustainable wastewater treatment systems in small communities. Findings of this study showed an apparent lack of information regarding natural wastewater treatment systems for all respondents. It is revealed that a high level of education is not directly related to high awareness of alternative wastewater treatment methods nor great acceptance of innovative wastewater treatment systems. Age showed a significant correlation with social acceptance of alternative ways of waste treatment, with people over the age of 56 shown to be most willing to apply a natural wastewater treatment system in remote areas of the Leros island. Therefore, it is evident that policies that strengthen environmental awareness contribute to a more sustainable wastewater management. Keywords: Sustainable wastewater management, environmental awareness, wastewater reuse, water resources management, public acceptance, questionnaire survey. 1. Introduction Public acceptance regarding the introduction of modern technologies for managing community waste is vital for both the successful operation of infrastructure and proper urban governance, although it is often overlooked as a critical factor in decision-making. Especially for alternative solutions such as natural wastewater treatment systems, which are continually gaining ground in many countries worldwide, especially in small settlements, it is necessary to investigate the level of awareness of community residents and their active participation in the systematic use of these systems. Natural treatment methods and specially constructed wetlands are accepted in European countries and the United States of America as reliable and suitable methods for primary and secondary residential wastewater treatment (Parisopoulos et al., 2005; Lu et al., 2016; Austin and Yu, 2016). Europe is currently in a transitional phase in wastewater management. Due to modern know-how, there are unique opportunities to reuse water after additional treatment. Unfortunately, many countries lag in wastewater management, with significant shortcomings, even in the primary treatment stage. Every country's waste management policy frequently relies mainly on local communities, making it difficult to find direct answers to environmental challenges (Gavalakis et al., 2017). The Directive 91/271/EEC sets out the minimum necessary technical infrastructure for sewerage networks and sewage treatment plants in the cities and towns of the European Union, distinguishing the wastewater recipients in three