Public and Consumer Education Programs

Educating the public is a necessary facet of every successful consumer water conservation program. Conservation programs are implemented for a variety of different reasons, but the successful program efforts all share common attributes. The key goals of a public education program are to inform and educate customers on the following:

• The reasons water conservation is necessary.
• The benefits of conserving water.
• The risks and liabilities to the community’s water system of not conserving water.
• The actions needed to achieve the water conservation goals.

Long term water conservation is dependent upon customers replacing their inefficient appliances and plumbing fixtures. Public education on water conservation helps customers to make smarter decisions when purchasing new products or replacing old fixtures and appliances

Behavioral Changes. The most common use of public education programs is to obtain immediate behavioral changes in times of water shortages, such as drought or water supply interruptions. There are many documented cases where programs have obtained very effective results in reducing water usage during times of crisis. Some utilities report customers reducing their water usage by more than 20% after they have been alerted and educated. The water use reductions from behavioral changes can be impressive and effective for short periods of time and typically include behavioral actions such as shorter showers and reduced lawn watering. However, these behavioral changes tend to wane long-term, usually losing all conservation effect in a few years, even while the public awareness campaigns continue. “Drought fatigue” is often the term applied here. Despite the initial effectiveness and importance of public education programs, focusing just on behavioral changes alone are not an effective long-term water conservation strategy. Investments in appliance and fixture efficiency are needed to guarantee more permanent results.   

Methods. An effective program often uses multiple methods and media to present the educational information to the customer. It is a known fact in advertising that using multiple media and repeating the message numerous times has a synergistic effect in enabling the customer to retain the information presented. Advertisement professionals profess that a person must hear a message more than three times, on three separate occasions, before the message is retained in long-term memory. Repetition is key.

Water utilities have a great variety of formats to deliver educational messages, including: public service announcements on radio and TV; newspaper articles and advertising; local street fairs and events; direct mail; utility newsletters; bill stuffers; messages on bills; web sites; and other paid advertising (such as transit placards). Successful public education programs often use a common theme (logo, motto and/or spokesperson) throughout all the different educational messages.    

Water utilities looking to implement public education programs have many fine examples of successful programs to mimic or from which to garner ideas. Most government-owned utilities are pleased to share their ideas and advice for effective public education programs. Caution is advised to investigate whether information and education programs might be under copyright or trademark protection. Many utility programs are under a license agreement from private enterprise for theme and materials.

Related resources:

The Alliance for Water Efficiency has produced numerous resources and tools to help utilities more effectively communicate with customers, including:  

• Never Waste Consumer Media Campaign
• Water Rates Communications Tools     
• Videos Communicating the Value of Water

  Other non-AWE resources:

• Water IQ 
• Denver Water's Use Only What You Need Campaign 
• Chicago Metropolitan Planning Council 
• Canadian Water and Wastewater Association (2015) Changing Public Attitudes on the Value of Canada’s Water System Infrastructure