Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
demand management program including installation of water saving devices,
pricing structures, and educational initiative would be the most effective means
of enhancing water use efficiency in Phoenix.
As a whole, the success of different conservation tools depends on the most critical
structural and attitudinal (or cognitive) determinants of demand and conservation
practices, which may vary in their effect across space and time. Though some factors
driving residential water use may be relatively unchangeable, such as the presence of a
pool or the size of a house, conservation programs may be able to impact water
consumption by altering perceptual drivers as well as land-cover types (e.g., on large
lots) and irrigation practices (e.g., in grassy or heavily vegetated yards). Ultimately,
conservation programs directed at the specific barriers to reducing water use in
particular areas hold great potential for enhancing water use efficiency.
2.3 Methodology
2.3.1 The Phoenix Area
Our study covers diverse neighborhoods in the City of Phoenix. With a popula-
tion over 4 million people as of the 2010 census, the Phoenix metropolitan area
is located in the Sonoran Desert of the U.S. Southwest. Average summertime
temperatures can exceed 105
F, with an average annual rainfall of less than 7 in.
This low rainfall means that the growing population of Phoenix must rely on water
sources that extend beyond the boundaries of the city. Primary water sources are the
Salt and Verde Rivers and non-renewable groundwater, in addition to the relatively
distant Colorado River. Although urban and suburban residential developments
have typically replaced agricultural land in the past, thereby allowing for the
transfer of water from farms to houses, new homes are increasingly being built
on native desert land that lack access to water resources (Keys et al.
2007
). In short,
the region has historically had a secure and diverse water portfolio, but increasing
demands on ultimately limited water supplies combine with a potentially warmer
and drier future to pose uncertainties and challenges to sustainable water resource
management in the region. Comparatively high rates of water consumption, more-
over, necessitate attention to demand management (Larson et al.
2009b
).
2.3.2 Data Sources
Residents' perceptions about water consumption were evaluated by the 2006
Phoenix Area Social Survey (PASS), which followed a multi-step sampling scheme
coupled with an ecological study design. First, 94 residential monitoring sites in the
Central Arizona- Phoenix Long-Term Ecological Research (CAP LTER) project
