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Water-conservation and demand-management programs are increasingly important as water utilities seek to provide sustainable water supplies for their customers. In order to optimize the effect of such programs, utilities need to understand customer behavior related to water use. Armed with this information, utilities can develop communication strategies and tools to achieve maximum customer participation in water-conservation and demand-management programs. One example is the installation of indoor plumbing fixtures that save water or the replacement of existing plumbing equipment with equipment that uses less water. Behavioral practices directly linked with using water more efficiently include running the dishwasher only when full, washing dishes in the sink instead of running the water continuously, turning off the faucet while brushing teeth or shaving, adjusting water levels in the washing machine to match the size of the load, watering the lawn in the early morning or late afternoon to reduce evaporation, growing indigenous plants, or sweeping sidewalks instead of hosing them down. If utilities understand customer behavior and the factors that influence that behavior, they can develop communication tools to motivate customers to use water more wisely. This project will investigate demographic, geopolitical, and other factors that affect the water-use behavior of residential customers. The project will also investigate the effect of communication tools, strategies, and messages on water use and conservation behavior of residential customers and the relationship between selected factors and selected communications.
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