Creating positive habits in water conservation: the case of the Queensland Water Commission and the Target 140 campaign

Abstract

• This case study reports the activities of the Queensland Water Commission (QWC) in securing the water supply for Brisbane and surrounding South East Queensland (SEQ) in response to the worst drought on record. The case focuses on residential water use and examines a three year period from 2006 to 2009. The focus of the study is the interventions of 2007, which centres on the Target 140 campaign. In 2007, the QWC faced with critically low dam levels identified household consumption as responsible for 70% of water use. The eight month Target 140 campaign targeted household users, aiming to change the water use habits of SEQ residents. The campaign achieved not only immediate reductions in water use but also contributed to long term behavioural and attitudinal change. The aim of the campaign was to reduce water consumption from 180 litres (l)/person/day to a target of 140 l/person/day by the end of 2007. This was achieved with water consumption dropping to an average of 129 l/person/day during the campaign and saving over 20 billon litres of water. In 2009, despite the drought broken for over a year and the water consumption target lifted to 200 l/person/day residents were continuing to consume water, on average, less than 140 l/person/day. The outcome was a capstone result for the QWC, and the Target 140 campaign went on to achieve international industry recognition. This case study demonstrates how attitudinal change, goal setting and feedback were key components of the change strategy and outlines the tactics used during the campaign. Furthermore, the case study discusses these mechanisms for change in terms of a theoretical understanding. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. IntroductionIn August 2009, the residents of Brisbane and surrounding South East Queensland (SEQ) were consuming water at levels equivalent to Level 6 or 'Extreme' water restrictions, irrespective of the fact that the 'worst drought in 100years' had ended well over a year ago. The residents were now able to use 200 l/person/day and yet, they continued to use less than 140 l/person/day; equivalent to Level 6 water restrictions. Why had the people of SEQ never returned to their predrought water consumption levels of over 300 l/person/day? What behaviours had changed, how did these changes come about and why were these changes continuing? This case study will show how the Queensland Water Commission (QWC), responsible for the supply of SEQ water, achieved these changes. This case will demonstrate how attitudinal change, along with goal-setting and feedback, were key components of the change strategy. Furthermore, the case study discusses these mechanisms for change in terms of a theoretical understanding of behavioural change. This case study report proceeds as follows: first, it provides a description of the QWC and the background to the 2007 water change strategy intervention. It outlines the milestones of change and accounts for the factors associated with the changes. Second, it presents a review of the relevant literature and follows...

Perceptions of Water Pricing during a Drought: A Case Study from South Australia

“…The initial 3000 mail-outs targeting the three sub-areas resulted in an 18% response rate. This is likely to impact on confidence intervals for the parameters presented, however, the figure is comparable with other Australian research on household water-use studies [44,45]. Qualitative comments are also included, but cannot be taken as thematic accounts as not all respondents provided written statements; they are included merely to add flesh to the quantitative data analysis.…”

Risks and tensions in water industry innovation: understanding adoption of decentralised water systems from a socio-technical transitions perspective

“…The population in SEQ had doubled from 1.5 million in 1981 to 3 million in 2010, about double the national growth rate (Bell et al, 2010), which attracted political criticism for inadequate planning for all infrastructure in the region including housing, transport, and water (Spearritt, 2008). The 'millennium' drought (2001e2008) saw record low levels of rainfall (e.g., less than 10% of average rainfall) and the region's collective dam storage level dropped to an unprecedented low of 17% (Walton and Hume, 2011). Political pressure was mounting for an increasingly urgent response to the worsening drought (Head, 2010).…”

“…An extensive social marketing campaign was introduced to reduce domestic water consumption to 140 L per person per day (L/p/d), a target that represented less than half of the pre-drought water consumption for the region (300 L/p/d in 2001). In combination, these strategies contributed to reducing consumption to 128 L/p/d and a sustained change in behaviour and water conservation attitudes that lasted well beyond the breaking of the drought in 2008 (Walton and Hume, 2011).…”

“…Government funded programmes included subsidies for rainwater tanks and water efficient appliances, and requirements for all workplaces to develop water saving plans (Head, 2010;Walton and Hume, 2011). An extensive social marketing campaign was introduced to reduce domestic water consumption to 140 L per person per day (L/p/d), a target that represented less than half of the pre-drought water consumption for the region (300 L/p/d in 2001).…”

Creating the Global Greenscape: Developing a Global Market-Entry Framework for the Green and Renewable Technologies

“…Green procurement integrates into the green manufacturing chain with it focusing on manufacturing methods that support and sustain a renewable way of producing products and/or services that do no harm to you or the environment (Walton & Hume, 2011). Green manufacture and process flow and small incremental changes can make large differences to the environment and will flow on to other areas of the supply chain.…”