Full Citation
Title: Towards California Water Conservation Impact Evaluations by Default: Lessons of a Turf Removal Rebate Study in South Orange County
Citation Type: Conference Paper
Publication Year: 2015
ISBN:
ISSN:
DOI:
NSFID:
PMCID:
PMID:
Abstract: Faced with an unprecedented drought, California has spent over half a billion dollars in cash rebates for home owners to tear out their lawns the largest outdoor conservation program in American history. Yet this programs impact and the path to turf market transformation remain unclear. Household water usage ranges from a mean of 417 to maximum of 17,817 gallons per day, and we highlight the need to move beyond one-size-fits-all conservation estimates. Using a synthesis of exploratory statistical analyses and robust models, we provide a structured, quantitative framework for water managers to think through substantial water usage variation and complex factors, both hydrological and behavioral, affecting the impact of turf rebates. These results are followed by a discussion of future water conservation impact evaluation opportunities vis a vis an unprecedented inter-utility, account-level water usage data collaborative currently being built by the authors in partnership with a key California.
User Submitted?: No
Authors: Atwater, Drew; Atwater, Patrick; Schmitt, Eric
Conference Name: Bloomberg Data for Good Exchange Conference
Publisher Location: New York, NY
Data Collections: IPUMS NHGIS
Topics: Land Use/Urban Organization, Natural Resource Management, Other
Countries: