RESIDENTIAL WATER-USE - PREDICTING AND REDUCING CONSUMPTION

This project had two goals: to explain variation in residential water consumption and to evaluate methods of encouraging residents to reduce their consumption, Survey data for both studies were collected by mad questionnaire in early 1991, and water consumption figures were recor ded between June and August of that year. In Study 1 (n = 264) a three -variable regression model (number of residents, clotheswashing machin e loads, and property value) accounted for 60% of the variance. Attitu des, habits and values were very poor predictors of water consumption. In Study 2 (n = 226) households were divided into three treatment gro ups: feedback only, feedback and dissonance, and a control group. Repe ated-measures ANOVA revealed that high consumers receiving dissonance and feedback or feedback alone had significantly reduced their water c onsumption in the treatment period. The implications of these findings are discussed.