Socioeconomic Factors Affecting Water Conservation in Southern Texas

Abstract

The Edwards Underground Water District and the city of San Antonio, Texas, conducted a regionwide conservation program during the summer and fall of 1984. The program's goals were to educate the public about the potential water scarcity problem and to promote largely voluntary conservation measures. To evaluate acceptance of the program by the public, a regional survey was administered that included questions regarding knowledge about and attitudes toward water resources development and conservation, the types of information sources people use and prefer to use about conservation practices, and the conservation measures people actually implemented under the impetus of the program. Some considerations relevant to conservation programs throughout the state and elsewhere are discussed. Many institutional and economic factors affect water conservation policy in general, and it was concluded that water conservation must be assigned full resource status in order to implement effective institutional policy options.