IT’S GOING TO TAKE MORE INNOVATION THAN TECHNOLOGY TO INCREASE WATER CONSERVATION PRACTICES

The purpose of the study was to examine the perceptions of homeowners in Orange County, Florida, who have automated irrigation systems concerning community-based social marketing (CBSM) strategies, especially use of norms that could be employed to reduce water used for lawn care, to understand what influenced homeowners to increase water conservation behaviors. The study also looked at the pragmatic approach and the effectiveness of CBSM to bring about behavior change. Emerging themes revealed pressure from the homeowners’ association (HOA) to have perfect grass, lack of knowledge about proper lawn care, confusion over when to water per week, and the inability to use the irrigation timer correctly. Participants indicated that the most significant norm was to abide by the water restrictions and have a nice lawn. The responses also indicated that following water restrictions was their primary means of conservation. The recommendation was made for practitioners to use CBSM to create a program for HOA board members to reduce water usage and eliminate wasteful practices.