To intervene or not: the game of recycled water use for residents with different preferences.

Recycled water contributes to sustainable development by providing a unified approach to wastewater treatment and rational water supply. However, the environmental benefit-sharing feature of recycled water may encourage some residents to show "free-rider" behavior. In this study, the evolutionary game model was applied to a game system consisting of two types of people, environmental preference and risk aversion. We analyzed internal and external factors and conducted a numerical simulation to seek both players' behavior evolutionary and stabilization trends. The study found that interventions are indispensable during recycled water use's initial and intermediate stages. Moreover, interventions should be tailored to different stages. In the initial stage, the benefits of co-use and the recycled water scientific information should be advertised. In the intermediate and mature stages, it is necessary to increase the trust coefficient or knowledge base of decided people who belong to early adopters of the recycled water diffusion system.