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The Healthy Green Spaces Coalition is powered by the National Association of Landscape Professionals.
Lead Partners
Supporting Partners
This survey examines which interventions can make homeowners more likely to take action on outdoor water efficiency. The findings show that the right solution depends on the barrier: cost may require rebates or other financial support, while complexity and effort can often be reduced through expert assistance, simpler choices, and hands-on support
“Any intervention that helps homeowners take a small first action can be useful. There is no one-size-fits-all solution, because different homeowners respond to different types of support.”
“Any intervention that helps homeowners take a small first action can be useful. There is no one-size-fits-all solution, because different homeowners respond to different types of support.”
Irrigation Specialist Increase Likelihood of Action
Many homeowners say they would be more likely to save water if they could work with a certified irrigation specialist. A specialist is a trained professional who can inspect a system, explain options, and help complete the work.
Across all six actions, an average of 65% say access to a specialist would make them more likely to act. Interest is highest for irrigation upgrades, at 69%. Maintenance and water scheduling are also high, at 67% each.
This shows that people often need more than information. They may want help choosing the right project, understanding their system, or doing the physical work.
Specialist Demand Falls With Age
Younger and middle-aged homeowners are more likely to say that specialist support would help them take action. Homeowners ages 18 to 54 give a positive response for about 4.5 of the six actions in the survey. That falls to about three actions among homeowners age 55 and older.
Older homeowners may still need help. But the type of help may need to change. Younger homeowners may prefer quick online booking, clear prices, and easy financing. Older homeowners may prefer trusted referrals, in-person visits, simple options, and full-service installation.
Openness to a certified specialist is 21 points higher among millennials than boomers, while about two-thirds of all homeowners want help with any given activity.
% of respondents open to a certified irrigation specialist
Openness to a specialist, by generation and activity,1 % of respondents
Strip shows respondents open to a specialist for at least one of the six activities; shaded band marks the range across generations. 1Same measure, asked separately for each activity. Openness combines “much more likely” and “somewhat more likely” to act with a certified irrigation specialist. Generations by age at fielding: Gen Z 18–29, millennial 30–45, Gen X 46–61, boomer 62–80; 32 respondents aged 81–98 are not shown as a generation but are included in Overall.
Source: Healthy Green Spaces Coalition, 2026 Residential Outdoor Water Barriers Survey (Gen Z, n = 105; millennial, n = 481; Gen X, n = 288; boomer, n = 380; overall, n = 1,286 U.S. homeowners with in-ground irrigation systems).
HOA Communities Need Support That Makes Approval Easier
HOA homeowners are often more open to working with trained professionals, especially for irrigation upgrades, scheduling, grass removal, and landscape redesign. But visible yard changes may still require HOA approval or need to fit neighborhood rules.
Programs can reduce these barriers by offering HOA-approved landscape designs, vetted irrigation and landscaping providers, clear price ranges, and examples of completed water-wise yards. Community workshops, group assessment days, and model projects can also help boards and homeowners feel more confident about making changes.
HOA households want a specialist more on all six activities, and the gap grows as the job gets bigger.
Share saying a certified irrigation specialist would make them much or somewhat more likely to act
HOANon-HOA
Landscape redesign+9.00.001
Full grass removal+7.00.011
Partial landscape change+6.20.019
Active scheduling+5.90.025
Routine maintenance+5.70.029
System upgrades+4.90.056
50%60%70%80%gapp
Two-proportion z-tests. Scale runs 50 to 80 percent; no marker begins at zero, so read the connecting line length as the gap, not the dot position as magnitude. Groups are quota-matched and near-identical in mean age (50.4 vs 51.5).
Source: Healthy Green Spaces Coalition, 2026 Residential Outdoor Water Barriers Survey (HOA, n = 644; non-HOA, n = 642).