Nicole Thornton PhD StudentInstitute for Sustainable Futures, UTSInstitute for Sustainable Futures, UTS

WQRA/CRC for Water Quality and TreatmentGosford City Council

NSW Department of Environment and Climate Change

WQRA Members Meeting 29th May 2009

Bottom half of Central Coast; 1h th S d

Lifestyle choice1hr north Sydney,Population (as of 2006):

Central Coast = population

Many commute to Sydney & Newcastle

p p285,000Gosford City = population 159,000; Pretty Beach, south end Central Coastconnected homes 67,000

~78% urban water usersFast growing population

y ,

Fast growing populationHigh proportion of low socio-economic, retirees & young families touristsyoung families, tourists

Background Background –– Water SupplyWater Supplygg S pp yS pp yWater supply = 3 dams, 3 weirs, Hunter Valley pipelineManaged by Joint Water Authority (Gosford City and Wyong Shire)Drought conditions and water restrictions since 2001Drought conditions and water restrictions since 2001June 2008 = water supply at 13% Level 4 restrictions during 2007/8. Currently on Level 3g

Mangrove Dam, largest dam , September 2008Mardi Dam, north end Central Coast

Background Background –– Project ContextProject Contextgg j Cj CCouncil interested in how and why residents use ywater in the homeCouncil interested in effective ways to reduce yresidential water consumptionResearch contributes toResearch contributes to

Improved behaviour change water programmesTargeting the correct audience & behavioursValue for money, time & effort from future programmesBetter understanding between rhetoric & behaviour Identifying impacts from specific water efficient devices

Research QuestionsResearch QuestionsResearch Questions Research Questions How is water used in the home?

What are household end-use patterns?What are impacts on water consumption and to individual behaviour from specific water saving devices?

Why is water used this way? Does rhetoric match behaviour? How do attitudes, values and perceptions influence water behaviour in the home?water behaviour in the home?What are the barriers and incentives for householders move from intention to the actual behaviour?How does perception of community water use and Council management influence household water use?

Project OutlineProject OutlineProject OutlineProject Outline50 single and multi-residential homes in Gosford City

10 homes each in 5 suburbs10 homes each in 5 suburbsAvoca Beach, Terrigal, East Gosford, Woy Woy, Umina Beach

Data collection March 2008 - June 2009JQuantitative data

Water meters and data loggers to collect household water useShower monitors to collect shower data

Qualitative dataFace-to-face interviews

Demographics: owners, renters; single, family and shared households

W t i tWater-saving component Replaced 9L+ toilets with free 4.5/3L toiletsShower monitor trial

Data Collection TimelineData Collection TimelineCC

Household VisitsHousehold VisitsHousehold VisitsHousehold Visits

Part 1 : Household Water UsePart 1 : Household Water UseUUActaris CT5 water meters

72 pulses per minute (mechanical meter registers 14ml per revolution)50 meters installed by Gosford Council50 meters installed by Gosford Council

Aegis MonitaR / Data Cell data loggers 10 sec intervals for all mains water used in home10 sec intervals for all mains water used in homeData sent daily via SIM card over GPRS network to NPC Actaris water meter

d A iwebsite10 data loggers rotated between 50 households

connected to an Aegis data logger on-site

50Manual download of data logger if GPRS signal not connecting

Part 1: Household water usePart 1: Household water use continued...continued...

National Project Consultants (NPC) Household water data emailed to ‘LogIT’ websiteHousehold water data emailed to LogIT website24hr web-based access to data in user-friendly formathttp://www.npc.com.au/

9L+ toilet removed and 4.5/3L toilet installed Shower monitors trialled as a toilet counter34 single and 9L+ DF toilets replaced

Toilet removal & installationToilet monitor

Toilet removal & installation

Part 1: Household water usePart 1: Household water use continuedcontinuedPart 1: Household water use Part 1: Household water use continued...continued...

Main Interview (1st interview)50 face-to-face open-ended interviews with householdersApprox. 1hr, recorded on digital recorderDiscuss

How do householders think they use water in the homeh d h d h ( b h d h b h )Why do they do that (i.e. reasons behind their behaviour)

Attitudes, values and perceptions to household and community water usePerception of water situation on Central CoastOpinions about management of water supply by Gosford City CouncilCouncil

Part 2: Shower Monitor TrialPart 2: Shower Monitor Trial continuedcontinuedPart 2: Shower Monitor TrialPart 2: Shower Monitor Trial continued...continued...

Waitek shower monitorsDevice acts as reminder to keep showers short using audio and visual promptsA di t l d b i f 1 2Audio prompt = loud beeping for 1-2 minutesVisual prompt = LCD screen with time of Shower monitor in blind mode:day, temperature and black bars showing how long left before timer ends (flashes when timer has ended)

Shower monitor in blind mode: weeks 8-10

64 shower monitors installed: majority of householders kept their monitors

Shower monitor in live mode: weeks 11-13

Part 2: Shower Monitor Trial Part 2: Shower Monitor Trial continued...continued...SSShower Monitor Interview (2nd interview)

50 face-to-face open-ended interviewsApprox. 20 minsDiscuss

What do householders think about shower monitors and whyDo they want to keep the shower monitorsDo they want to keep the shower monitorsWhat do they think about their new toilets (if applicable)Feedback from participants point of view about their p p pinvolvement in study

Thank you presents Haigh’s chocolates or Cinema tickets to local independent theatre

Initial ResultsInitial ResultsInitial ResultsInitial ResultsHousehold water use Shower monitor trial

f fData from data loggers:◦ Analysis to start from Aug ‘09

T il t l t:

Data from shower monitors:◦ Analysis to start from Aug ’09◦ Majority kept shower monitorsToilet replacement:

◦ Analysis to start from Aug ‘09◦ Toilet monitors only good as

◦ Majority kept shower monitors◦ 9 households returned them -

mostly pensioners.Toilet monitors only good as counter not for vol or time of flush

◦ Everyone loved new toilets –

◦ Longest shared shower = 35mins with mum and 5yo daughter. Monitor reduced it by 5-10mins

◦ Everyone loved new toilets –“very comfortable to sit on”

Interviews◦ Longest single user shower =

25mins by 35yo male . Monitor reduced shower to 15mins (and

◦ Analysis to start from Sept’09◦ Interviews had biggest impact

on changing water behaviour

still trying to reduce it since finished with study).

on changing water behaviour

Research PartnersResearch PartnersResearch Partners Research Partners PhD Scholarship Funding Data Collection Fundingp g g

Gosford City Council CRC for Water Quality and

Gosford City Council CRC – WQT / WQRACRC for Water Quality and

Treatment ◦ Reformed as WQRA in

2008

CRC WQT / WQRAISF, UTSNSW Department of

2008Institute for Sustainable Futures (ISF), UTS

Environment and Climate Change (DECC) ◦ Manages Central Coast( ),

◦ In-kind support◦ Manages Central Coast

Water Savings Fund ◦ Residents and businesses

contribute to the fund via their water bill.

Q estionsQ estionsQuestionsQuestions

$90K project includes:$90K project includes:$90 p j$90 p j50 Actaris CT5 high-resolution water meters (72ppm)10 Aegis MonitaR and DataCell data loggersMonthly data transfer planTrace Wizard software to analyse water dataNPC ‘LogIT’ website for water data storage and accessTranscription of 100 face-to-face open-ended interviewsPlumber removed and installed 34 x 9L+ toilets with 4.5/3L C t il tCaroma toilets80 Waitek shower monitors (also trialled as a toilet counter)Thank o present to each participantThank you present to each participantGoGet car-sharing programme for travel