Quantifying the influence of environmental and water conservation attitudes on household end use water consumption

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Author(s)
Willis, Rachelle M
Stewart, Rodney A
Panuwatwanich, Kriengsak
Williams, Philip R
Hollingsworth, Anna L
Griffith University Author(s)
Year published
2011
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
Within the research field of urban water demand management, understanding the link between environmental and water conservation attitudes and observed end use water consumption has been limited. Through a mixed method research design incorporating field-based smart metering technology and questionnaire surveys, this paper reveals the relationship between environmental and water conservation attitudes and a domestic water end use break down for 132 detached households located in the Gold Coast, Australia. Using confirmatory factor analysis, attitudinal factors were developed and refined; households were then categorised based ...
View more >Within the research field of urban water demand management, understanding the link between environmental and water conservation attitudes and observed end use water consumption has been limited. Through a mixed method research design incorporating field-based smart metering technology and questionnaire surveys, this paper reveals the relationship between environmental and water conservation attitudes and a domestic water end use break down for 132 detached households located in the Gold Coast, Australia. Using confirmatory factor analysis, attitudinal factors were developed and refined; households were then categorised based on these factors through cluster analysis technique. Results indicated that residents with very positive environmental and water conservation attitudes consumed significantly less water in total and across the behaviourally influenced end uses of shower, clothes washer, irrigation and tap, than those with moderately positive attitudinal concern (n=78; 169.0L/p/d). The paper concluded with implications for urban water demand management planning, policy and practice.
View less >
View more >Within the research field of urban water demand management, understanding the link between environmental and water conservation attitudes and observed end use water consumption has been limited. Through a mixed method research design incorporating field-based smart metering technology and questionnaire surveys, this paper reveals the relationship between environmental and water conservation attitudes and a domestic water end use break down for 132 detached households located in the Gold Coast, Australia. Using confirmatory factor analysis, attitudinal factors were developed and refined; households were then categorised based on these factors through cluster analysis technique. Results indicated that residents with very positive environmental and water conservation attitudes consumed significantly less water in total and across the behaviourally influenced end uses of shower, clothes washer, irrigation and tap, than those with moderately positive attitudinal concern (n=78; 169.0L/p/d). The paper concluded with implications for urban water demand management planning, policy and practice.
View less >
Journal Title
Journal of Environmental Management
Volume
92
Issue
8
Copyright Statement
© 2011 Elsevier. This is the author-manuscript version of this paper. Reproduced in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher. Please refer to the journal's website for access to the definitive, published version.
Subject
Environmental management
Water resources engineering