Residential Irrigation Restrictions and Water Conservation: A Review of Studies from 1978 to 2022

Abstract

AbstractUrban water managers and policymakers have adopted demand management strategies to reduce water use and buffer against short‐term water supply shortfalls. This article provides a systematic review of publications from 1978‐2022 that examine the effectiveness of residential water use restrictions as the primary demand‐side management tool. Our results indicate the significant overall effect of restrictions on reducing water consumption, with an average reduction of 12.3% from the 23 studies reviewed in this article. When evaluating effect strength by restriction type (mandatory versus voluntary), voluntary restrictions have a significantly lower effect than mandatory restrictions on water use. We also find an inverse correlation between the number of irrigation days allowed and the estimated effect strength.