Social perception of the need and efficiency of ecological sewage treatment plants in small towns in Poland

The aim of this study was to assess the state of knowledge and opinions on water quality, the need for sewage treatment, and on efficiency and profitability of the existing hydrophytes treatment plants, of residents of the three small towns in Poland (Świętokrzyskie Voivodship): Nowa Słupia and Mniów (6 and 7 years, respectively, after commissioning of the plant water systems), as well as Bliżyn, where no treatment plant was operating at that time. Comparative assessment of the environmental perceptions, attitudes, and awareness of small-town dwellers regarding water quality and its management became the evident outcome of the survey. An even more important result, however, was proposing and testing an original approach to the analysis of social attitudes toward issues related to environmental state and management, which should, as a standard, precede important decisions, policies, and technological solutions regarding environmental protection.