Municipal water conservation: Social marketing and governance strategies for Vancouver, BC.

摘要

Local utilities increasingly use water demand management approaches to meet their consumers' water needs. Although both the Seattle, Washington and Vancouver, British Columbia areas use these approaches to reduce per capita water consumption, this remains substantially higher in the Vancouver area. Background research and questionnaire surveys of water purveyors found that the Seattle area has widespread water metering, a tiered price structure and highly proactive, extensive social marketing programs. In the Vancouver area, just two of 18 municipalities have water metering, with only one of the two using a tiered price structure. Also the Vancouver area has fewer and less active approaches to promoting and supporting lower water consumption. Social marketing methods and governance policies considered to be most effective by Seattle and Vancouver area respondents are summarized and used to provide a basis for recommendations to improve water conservation performance in the Vancouver area.;Keywords. water conservation, social marketing, municipal governance, water demand management. Abbreviations used: GVWD, Greater Vancouver Water District; SPU, Seattle Public Utilities; SRWS, Seattle Regional Water System; SRI, Sustainable Region Initiative; DWMP, Drinking Water Management Plan; WMD, Water Demand Management; SWP, Saving Water Partnership; CPA, Conservation Potential Assessment