More than half of Florida residents share one habit in common when in the bathroom, and it’s not washing hands.
Between water-efficient toilets and low-flow showerheads, research shows Floridians are conserving water at a surprising rate.
The PIE Center collected data to gauge public opinion on various issues surrounding water in Florida. Alexa Lamm, assistant professor of public opinion analysis, and Tracy Irani, professor and PIE Center director, worked in conjunction to distribute and analyze the survey. The two are faculty in the UF/IFAS Department of Agricultural Education and Communication.
As one of Florida’s most abundant natural resources, water is a vital resource for not just the environment, but also Florida’s economy and industries. As the state continues to build and develop land, however, Irani said that people are noticing the need to protect the water supply.
“There’s a greater and greater understanding that this resource needs to be conserved and that individual citizens have a role to play in that,” Irani said.
Survey respondents were asked to indicate how often they engaged in specific water conservation behaviors, such as:
Turning off the water while brushing their teeth
Avoiding watering the lawn in the summer
Showering for no more than five minutes at a time
Avoiding drinking bottled water
The participants engaged in specific water conservation efforts to varying degrees; 65.5 percent reported turning off the water every time or almost every time they brush their teeth. However, participants were not as willing to limit their shower time or avoid drinking bottled water.
“I don’t believe a lot of people associate drinking bottled water with water conservation,” Lamm said. “It’s possible that they may worry more about the recycling nature of using plastic bottles rather than a reusable Nalgene bottle.“
Aside from the above results, Florida residents’ water conservation behaviors include:
Low-flow showerheads (52.6%)
Water-efficient toilets (51.8%)
Use recycled wastewater to irrigate their lawn or landscape (65.3%).
With the results of this survey, the PIE Center hopes to identify barriers to engaging in water conservation behaviors and how to possibly overcome them.
