WHAT’S REQUIRED TO CHANGE BEHAVIOR AND ATTITUDE

Changing Human Behavior is One of the Most Difficult Tasks of Water Conservation

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Presented by:

Ida Roberts

The Water Conservation School

7205 Somersworth Drive

Orlando, Florida 32835-6162

For more information, visit:

www.waterconservationschool.com

It can be and must be done because water is a finite resource with the gap between demand and supply increasing rapidly

To defer exorbitant costs of the monumental engineering alternative water supply projects, called the traditional “hard path (engineering mentality).” Costs +2-3x original projections, trending upwards

Conservation is the least expensive way to find new water. Compare conservation costs with the cost of the next unit of supply, called the new “soft path (nonstructural component).” Costs of conservation trending downward

Saving water saves energy costs, a large part of utility & individual expense

Population growth, growing regulatory tightening of supplies and less water availability due to climate change are factors.

Why We Must Change

Discharge to the Ocean

5 inches/year

StormwaterRunoff

Evapotranspirationplus Evaporation45 inches/year

Rainfall59 inches/year

Evaporation

Groundwater Recharge Volume - 9 inches/year

Max Speed – 14 inches/year

Groundwater pumping25 inches/year

Aquifer Net Loss = 16 inches per year

Fork In The RoadWe have reached a fork in the road on which path to take,

“hard path” or “soft path”:

Hard Path: Building more facilities at tremendous costs. The consequences:

1. Diminished natural world2. Higher economic costs3. Concentrated decision making

Soft Path: Changing the way people think of water and changing their behavior towards it.

The consequences:1. More productive use of water2. Transparent and open decision making3. An acceptance of the true value of water

Challenge: Changing Behavior

Behaviors can be changed Behaviors are learned Intervention needed for changes. Interventions has to be in the form of

leadership Most will not change on their own

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What Leadership Does Change Require From You

Your leadership. How? Change Yourself. Make the transition from hard path

thinking to soft path thinking The ability to communicate is the corner stone of

leadership New management skills: “soft path” customer relations Training, public education, on-going feedback (informative

billing) and reminders Interact closely with your water users Greater direct participation by water users Effectively engage community groups in water

management Get neighbors to work together to capture conservation low

cost opportunities

What People Want

People don’t want to specifically “use” water What they actually want is to drink and

bathe, swim, produce goods and services, grow food and otherwise meet human needs

Overcome Myths and Barriers

Change of notion of a “perceived abundance of water” Overcome:

– “One person can’t make much of a difference,” – “Why should I comply when a lot of other people aren’t,”and – “This won’t affect me.”

Results of Negative Consequences

Negative consequences sometimes change behavior temporarily, but they do not change attitude. Must be combined with powerful positive reinforcement to succeed

Negatives can also engender the “no law against it” and “beat the system” noncompliance mentality

Positive Reinforcement Is The Key

Only positive reinforcement strategies produce long-term attitudinal change required for the permanent behavioral change required

Techniques to develop attitudinal change

Some Positives to Overcoming Barriers

People will resist appearing “wasteful” Identify a specific second use for the water Ask for specific solutions from customers – public

participation is critical Compare economic issues to the “cost of the next

unit of supply” and not the current cost of water Encourage news coverage of water conservation

issues. Despite their emotional resistance to the news media, people believe what they read in the press and see on television.

Overcome Specific Existing Barriers

Make it as hassle free for the customers as possible. Perceived hassles limit participation in water conservation, i.e.,

– Number one reason for resisting change to irrigation practices – fear of irrigation controller. Customers are afraid of it. They don’t know how to set it

– Print some very simple instructions, i.e., set day of the week and time, select days to irrigate, set time to start, decide time for each zone.

– People resist toilet rebates because of the footprint. Do they fit in the exact location? Or will it require redoing the bathroom floor. Also, how to dispose of old toilet

Give away or sell low flow showerheads ($5) & faucet aerators ($1) Emphasize the specially-engineered and independent testing

Washing machine resistance from utilities because people take them with them when they move

Few Studies on Water Use Behavioral Changes

Extrapolation can be used by studies done to change behavior involving greenhouse gases, recycling (33 % participation in 1972, 80 % in 1990), energy consumption

Get customers attention by offering incentives, both simply emotional (make themselves feel better) and financial

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What Research Teaches Us

Knowledge alone does not produce behavior change, participation and incentives do

An intrinsic satisfaction from “doing the right thing” is achieved

The simpler, less hassles for the customers, the better

Rewards: Cash rebates or rebates on their bill are the best to show the savings

Utilize All The Tools

People respond differently to various tools Mailings, door-to-door solicitations, telephone

calls, presentations Emphasize benefits, why should care, specific

behaviors to change, tailored information, reminder labels at point of contact with water

Provide feedback, on bills, self generated, consumption monitors, provided by others, tailored

Goal setting Provide implementation plans

Verbal commitments Social support Social comparisons Focus groups Modeling Rewards and incentives Disincentives for unwanted behaviors

Utilize All The Tools

Challenge: Changing Behavior Behavior changes take time. Most permanent changes are

accomplished incrementally and a result of repetition

Long-term commitment is required

Permanent change is brought on by positive encouragement and rewards

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How to Change Behavior Repetition Repetition Repetition Repetition Repetition Repetition Repetition

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Specific Messages Beyond the Obvious

There is no relationship between the price of a water saving device and its effectiveness

Encourage full cost and volume pricing to move away from the culture of “cheap water” which encourages wastefulness

The Hundredth-Monkey The hundredth-monkey effect is a phenomenon in which a

learned behavior spreads rapidly from one group of monkeys to all related monkeys once a critical mass of acceptance is reached

When only a limited number of individuals know a 'new way', it remains the conscious property of those individuals

Each time another individual manifests this new awareness, the field is strengthened

Once a critical mass is reached (an exact number will vary), the awareness rapidly becomes common social change

You never know if you are talking to the hundredth monkey

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