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Make the invisible visible by strengthening utility literacy to sustain water services

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Water, wastewater and stormwater systems face converging stressors that threaten service reliability. Yet most residents remain unaware of how household behaviours, governance decisions and financial contributions shape utility performance. Addressing these challenges requires utility literacy — that is, practical knowledge that enables households, community leaders and decision-makers to support water services effectively and sustainably.

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Fig. 1: A framework for utility literacy.

Subjects

  • Education
  • Water resources
  • Sustainable Urban Water Management Strategies

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Environmental Finance Center, School of Government, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA

    Ahmed Rachid El-Khattabi

  2. Department of City and Regional Planning, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA

    Ahmed Rachid El-Khattabi

Authors

  1. Ahmed Rachid El-Khattabi
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Ahmed Rachid El-Khattabi.

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El-Khattabi, A.R. Make the invisible visible by strengthening utility literacy to sustain water services.
Nat Water (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s44221-026-00712-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s44221-026-00712-y

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