Adoption, barriers, homeowner behavior, messaging, social norms, education campaigns

behavior design case study with smile face
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Case Study: Belén Found a Cheaper Way to Save Water – With Smiley Stickers

Rate hikes and awareness campaigns made little difference. But being compared to the neighbors – with a smiley or a frowny face on water bills – cut water use by 5%.  Households in the municipality were using about 25% more water than…
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The Knowledge Gap Between Homeowners and Irrigation Specialists Is Worth 390 Billion Gallons a Year

By Steve Whitesell, Executive Editor Smart irrigation can save the average household with in-ground irrigation up to 15,000 gallons annually, when a certified specialist calibrates it to the property's soil, climate, and plant types. When…
technology automated water savings
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How Barrie, Ontario Cut Household Water Use by 30% in One Year

The water conservation campaign allowed them to postpone costly infrastructure upgrades for 7 years – and future-proofed the system for a growing population.  In the mid-1990s, Barrie, Ontario, faced a looming water supply problem. Over…
Why Technical Fixes Work Best with Behavioral Change
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Why Technical Fixes Work Best with Behavioral Change

You can fix distribution uniformity, repair leaks, and install smart controllers. But if human behavior doesn't change, water waste continues. The uncomfortable truth: technology and infrastructure improvements only deliver savings when people…
The Complexity Problem and Why Water Rebates Fail
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The Complexity Problem and the Education Gap: Water Waste Roundup

Water conservation programs invest heavily in rebates and technology. But when homeowners don't understand their irrigation systems—and when the professionals installing them don't either—those investments fail. Homeowners struggle with…
student ambassador and water efficiency campaigns

How Durham Canada Cut Water Use With Door-to-Door Student Ambassadors

Durham didn’t build a new water plant—it knocked on doors, handed out rain gauges, and cut peak water use by nearly a third. The Durham Region in Ontario, Canada, had a math problem. The population was growing…
How Florida Saved a Billion Gallons

Florida Saved a Billion Gallons of Water by Changing One Habit: A Case Study

  How simple communication grounded in behavioral science can save massive amounts of water - quickly, cheaply, and easily.   A few years ago, SW Florida ran a water-saving campaign called “Skip a week.” It might seem like…
CBSM campaign and water efficiency
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Community-Based Social Marketing: Increase Water Conservation with Limited Rebate Budgets

This article is a collaborative effort by Steve Whitesell and Kevin Poirier Rowe. You’ve rolled out rebates, mailed conservation tips, and launched outreach campaigns—but residents still overwater lawns or ignore leaks. Why? Because…
Motivation and water waste for irrigation behaviors
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What Motivates People to Change Their Irrigation Behaviors to Reduce Water Waste?

Executive Editor: Steve Whitesell Author: Kevin Rowe Americans are rethinking their yards. Faced with droughts, high water bills, and shifting social norms, many are trading turf for climate-smart landscapes that use less water and maintenance.…
checklist for behavior change tactics

34 Behavioral Tactics Utilities Can Use to Increase Residential Water Conservation

Executive Editor: Steve Whitesell Author: Kevin Rowe  This is a behavioral playbook — a practical, research-based guide to help water conservation managers design rebate programs that people actually use. Instead of focusing only on…

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