Promoting water conservation habits in shower use: review of water utility websites in OECD cities

González‐Gómez, Francisco; López-Ruiz, Samara; Tortajada, Cecilia

doi:10.1080/02508060.2022.2052662

Cited by 4 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 44 publications

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“…Websites are representative of water utilities' broader promotion of water conservation and the online information they provide is thus an appropriate measure of their efforts in this area (González-Gómez et al 2022). Consequently, the websites of the relevant water companies were searched for information on conservation and water-saving tips.…”

Section: Fieldworkmentioning

confidence: 99%

Does the Ownership of Water Utilities Influence Water-Saving Advice Provided to Service Users? An Analysis of the Spanish Water Sector

López-Ruiz

Ibáñez-Rueda

Guardiola

et al. 2023

Water Resour Manage

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This paper addresses the need to ensure the sustainable use of water, in line with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. Using statistical methods, this paper analyses whether the ownership of the water utility is an explanatory factor for (1) the provision of water conservation advice on utilities’ websites; and (2) how comprehensive this advice is in terms of tips on (i) installing efficient technology and (ii) adopting sustainable habits and behaviours. The paper focuses on the Spanish water industry, which is considered particularly appropriate for the analysis due to the coexistence of utilities with different ownership structures. The results reveal statistically significant differences according to the ownership of the operator and the size of the population served. For example, more private companies provide some advice on their websites, while public companies offer more tips per online advice section. The evidence should encourage national governments and regulatory authorities to pass a regulation that establishes guidelines on how these companies, both public and private, should provide water conservation advice on their websites.

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Section: Fieldworkmentioning

confidence: 99%

Does the Ownership of Water Utilities Influence Water-Saving Advice Provided to Service Users? An Analysis of the Spanish Water Sector

López-Ruiz

Ibáñez-Rueda

Guardiola

et al. 2023

Water Resour Manage

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“…A traditional showerhead uses about 19 L per minute [80].This means having a 5 min shower with a traditional shower will consume 95 L of water per person. Technology and human behaviour are the two determinants identified regarding water conservation in the shower[81]. Efficient shower heads are the main water-saving technologies[82,83].…”

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confidence: 99%

“…For example, a water-efficient showerhead uses about 9 L per minute [80], which means having a 5 min shower can consume 45 L of water per person. Development of good habits such as limiting shower duration[81] and turning off the shower while soaping up[85] are required regarding water conservation in shower usage. Turning off the shower while soaping up and then turning it back on to rinse off can possibly save up to half of the amount of water an individual normally uses[86].According to the data collected from the students who participated in the survey, the majority of the students turned off the shower when soaping up.…”

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confidence: 99%

Identifying Gaps within the Education System in Uganda to Prepare Students for More Sustainable Water Management in the Future

Nalumenya,

Rubinato,

Kennedy

et al. 2023

Education Sciences

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Due to climate change and increased urbanisation, the current level of freshwater withdrawals and corresponding water usage in Uganda has increased, affecting the availability of these resources and becoming a concern. Education can play a crucial role in providing support to and training students on sustainable water use, both at home and in relation to school activities. Therefore, it is imperative that the education system develops actions, approaches and materials to achieve this goal. The paper assesses the current state of existing Ugandan education on this subject, by identifying the water-related topics currently featured in the curriculum at different class levels, with the aid of questionnaires conducted in three schools in Uganda. Three questionnaires (one for primary school pupils, one for secondary school pupils and one for teachers) were designed for collecting targeted data, and thematic analysis was adopted to analyse the data collected. The results revealed important insights regarding students’ behaviours towards water usage at home. They also revealed that water sustainability topics are delivered in the science curriculum at the primary level, as opposed to geography at the secondary level, confirming that overall, there is a lack of integrated practical teaching incorporated within the courses currently taught in Ugandan schools.

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Towards a sustainable use of shower water: Habits and explanatory factors in southern Spain

Ibáñez-Rueda¹,

Guardiola²,

López-Ruiz³

et al. 2023

Sustain. Water Resour. Manag.

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One of the targets of Sustainable Development Goal 6 is the efficient use of water resources in all sectors in order to tackle water shortages. In the home, showering is one of the main water consuming activities. How can people make more sustainable use of shower water? To answer this question, this research analyses showering habits and explanatory factors of shower use. The study is carried out with data from 945 students of the University of Granada, Spain. Significant differences are observed in shower use during the summer and winter months: the average duration is 8.8 and 11.6 min, respectively, and the frequency is greater in summer (with an average frequency of eight showers per week). Determinants of different shower water use include gender, ideology, pro-environmental actions, inherent values, and connectedness to nature, among others. Those variables relate differently to duration and frequency of showers, according to the season, thus highlighting the importance of seasonality. The results show that there is room to achieve a more sustainable use of the shower, in terms of frequency and duration, through awareness measures that are tailored to groups that make a less sustainable use of showers. The main recommendation is that awareness campaigns should be designed on the basis of the user profile as well as the season.

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Promoting water conservation habits in shower use: review of water utility websites in OECD cities

Cited by 4 publications

References 44 publications

Does the Ownership of Water Utilities Influence Water-Saving Advice Provided to Service Users? An Analysis of the Spanish Water Sector

Does the Ownership of Water Utilities Influence Water-Saving Advice Provided to Service Users? An Analysis of the Spanish Water Sector

Identifying Gaps within the Education System in Uganda to Prepare Students for More Sustainable Water Management in the Future

Towards a sustainable use of shower water: Habits and explanatory factors in southern Spain

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