Households get water-smart
LRGV families install water-saving equipment as part of study
By Jenna Smith, February 2005
For more information regarding this subject, contact:
Janie L. Harris
(979) 845-3850
jl-harris@tamu.edu
Families in the Lower Rio Grande Valley have an opportunity to have water-saving equipment installed in their homes at no charge. This incentive is part of a study aimed at identifying the most effective way to teach people how to reduce the amount of water they use inside their home.
Janie Harris, housing specialist with Texas Cooperative Extension (TCE), and Extension agents in Hidalgo, Starr, Webb, Pecos and Val Verde counties are leading the Water Conservation Study. Fifteen families will participate in the study, three from each of the aforementioned Texas counties.
“Each county has already received an in-home water conservation education kit,” said Harris.
“It includes the equipment, materials and resources necessary to help reduce water usage within the home.”
As study participants, the families will attend two water conservation educational programs put on by their county extension agent. They will also release their water bills for the months of January through April 2005 and allow TCE representatives to read their water meters. Five families will have water-conserving toilets, showerheads and aerators installed in their homes.
“Our goal from this study is to show how much a family of four can reduce their water consumption for a three-month period by installing water-saving equipment,” said Harris. “In addition, we hope to determine which method of intervention results in the greatest reduction of water usage.”
The study is expected to take six months to complete. Extension specialists in New Mexico have also requested in-home water conservation education kits for use in a duplicate study involving New Mexican homeowners. Specialists hope that by targeting homeowners across two states, more families will become involved with conservation efforts.
Participating homeowners not having water-saving equipment mounted in their homes will have the opportunity to do so once the study is completed.
“Families participating in our study will not only learn to conserve water, but their water bill and sewer bill may decrease substantially,” said Harris. “In addition, their house can have water-saving equipment installed at no extra charge. It’s a win-win situation.”
