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This study examines the sustainability of underground water heritage through the case of Gaziantep’s kastels and livas in Türkiye, focusing on public perceptions, heritage awareness, perceived value, and participation-related support mechanisms. Although kastels and livas have previously been addressed in architectural, historical, and infrastructural terms, user-centered evidence on their social recognition and conservation-related evaluation remains limited. The study adopts a cross-sectional, survey-based design grounded in sustainable heritage management. The questionnaire was developed for this underground water heritage system and structured around four dimensions: heritage awareness, perceived value, conservation support/participation intention, and governance-, promotion-, and future-oriented perceptions. The instrument was refined through expert review and pilot testing, and the final dataset consisted of 406 valid questionnaires collected through both online and face-to-face administration. Analyses included descriptive statistics, reliability analysis, exploratory factor analysis, correlation analysis, and group comparisons. The findings indicate that participants attributed particularly high value to kastels and livas and expressed strong support for their conservation, while current promotion, information tools, and institutional collaboration were evaluated less favorably. Perceived value was strongly associated with conservation support/participation intention. The study offers an empirical basis for socially grounded strategies for the protection, interpretation, and sustainable management of Gaziantep’s kastels and livas. Full article