A Deeper Look

Scientist Studying How Water Sources Influence Conservation Behaviors

-  HEATHER MACHOVINA

DID YOU KNOW as much as 50% of household water use goes toward landscape irrigation nationwide? That totals nearly 9 billion gallons of water per day just for watering outside the home, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Drastic numbers like these are what drives Dr. Laura Warner’s research and extension work at the University of Florida (UF) in the Department of Agricultural Education and Communication (AEC). She focuses on helping Floridians adopt the most impactful and applicable conservation strategies to benefit natural resources and households by identifying ways to further understand individuals’ perceptions and educational needs relating to water.

So much research has been done already on water conservation, but Florida has a unique situation in that water users of residential homes have a variety of different sources for irrigation purposes. They could be using well water, city/public water, or reclaimed water to irrigate their lawns and landscapes. To date, no one had looked at whether the source of irrigation water was influencing individuals’ choices and behaviors.