Motivations for Water Conservation Among Homeowners in Semi-Arid West Texas.

Water resources in the semi-arid Southern High Plains of Texas are finite and diminishing. The region is home to more than 600,000 people across 20 counties and is one of the most productive in the native in terms of agricultural output. Contention over the use of water resources exists, therefore, between urban areas and agricultural operations. Extensive research has been conducted on water use and conservation trends in regional agriculture, but studies are lacking in the urban setting. An exploratory 2016 study evaluated the management practices, irrigation habits, and reactions to various stimuli intended to increase water conservation among 300 homeowners across the region. Surveys were distributed to determine current management practices and the effectiveness of municipal water price, irrigation ordinances, regulations, and fines, and conservation marketing campaigns on the study group’s irrigation practice. Common convention and most water conseration proponents would suggest that financial incentives, penalties, and savings would be the biggest motivator for conservation. Initial evaluation of the results, however, suggests that appeals to a homeowners sense of “collective good” and water availability at the community level may be the most meaningful impetus in terms of increased water conservation in the urban landscape.