Note
Includes bibliography.
Member of
Contributors
Publisher
Florida Atlantic University
Date Issued
2016
EDTF Date Created
2016
Description
Evaluating trends of historical rainfall on a weekly and seasonal basis is needed
for optimizing the design and implementation of lawn water conservation strategies like
outdoor water restrictions. While “day of the week” water restrictions are a typical
strategy to limit the frequency and duration of urban lawn water use, they may not
necessarily result in more conservative behaviors from end-users. Because weekly
rainfall and local climate variables are seldom taken into account in water restriction
strategies, they are not connected to actual lawn water demand. However, since lawn
water demand is directly related to weekly rainfall totals, not to a particular number of
watering days per week, water restriction schedules have the potential to unintentionally
promote overwatering. This study investigated the weekly patterns of average seasonal rainfall and evapotranspiration in South Florida to determine the typical variability of
weekly net irrigation needs and found that typical wet season weekly rainfall often
provides a significant amount of water to meet the demand of residential lawns and
landscapes. This finding underscores opportunity to reduce supplemental overwatering
in residential landscapes if watering guidelines were modified to recognize seasonal
average weekly rainfall in this region
This study also tested a rainfall-based water conservation strategy to determine if
providing residents with information about how local rainfall could promote more
effective lawn watering behavior than just water restrictions alone. Experimental
households reduced lawn water use by up to 61% compared to the control group by the
end of the study. These results demonstrate that the neighborhood “rain-watered lawn”
signs helped experimental study group households become more aware of rainfall as the
primary input of water to their lawns. This study also investigated the role that lawn
irrigation from self-supplied sources plays in the urban lawn water demand and
investigates how the lawn water use and lawn watering behaviors of households that
source from self-supply differ from those who source from the public supply.
for optimizing the design and implementation of lawn water conservation strategies like
outdoor water restrictions. While “day of the week” water restrictions are a typical
strategy to limit the frequency and duration of urban lawn water use, they may not
necessarily result in more conservative behaviors from end-users. Because weekly
rainfall and local climate variables are seldom taken into account in water restriction
strategies, they are not connected to actual lawn water demand. However, since lawn
water demand is directly related to weekly rainfall totals, not to a particular number of
watering days per week, water restriction schedules have the potential to unintentionally
promote overwatering. This study investigated the weekly patterns of average seasonal rainfall and evapotranspiration in South Florida to determine the typical variability of
weekly net irrigation needs and found that typical wet season weekly rainfall often
provides a significant amount of water to meet the demand of residential lawns and
landscapes. This finding underscores opportunity to reduce supplemental overwatering
in residential landscapes if watering guidelines were modified to recognize seasonal
average weekly rainfall in this region
This study also tested a rainfall-based water conservation strategy to determine if
providing residents with information about how local rainfall could promote more
effective lawn watering behavior than just water restrictions alone. Experimental
households reduced lawn water use by up to 61% compared to the control group by the
end of the study. These results demonstrate that the neighborhood “rain-watered lawn”
signs helped experimental study group households become more aware of rainfall as the
primary input of water to their lawns. This study also investigated the role that lawn
irrigation from self-supplied sources plays in the urban lawn water demand and
investigates how the lawn water use and lawn watering behaviors of households that
source from self-supply differ from those who source from the public supply.
Language
Type
Form
Extent
110 p.
Subject (Topical)
Identifier
FA00004710
Additional Information
Includes bibliography.
Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2016.
FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection
Date Backup
2016
Date Created Backup
2016
Date Text
2016
Date Created (EDTF)
2016
Date Issued (EDTF)
2016
Extension
FAU
IID
FA00004710
Organizations
Attributed name: Florida Atlantic University
Attributed name: Charles E. Schmidt College of Science
Attributed name: Department of Geosciences
Person Preferred Name
Survis, Felicia D.
author
Graduate College
Physical Description
application/pdf
110 p.
Title Plain
Beyond Water Restrictions: Informing Effective Lawn Watering Behavior
Use and Reproduction
Copyright © is held by the author, with permission granted to Florida Atlantic University to digitize, archive and distribute this item for non-profit research and educational purposes. Any reuse of this item in excess of fair use or other copyright exemptions requires permission of the copyright holder.
http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
Origin Information
2016
2016
Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, Fla.
Physical Location
Florida Atlantic University Libraries
Place
Boca Raton, Fla.
Sub Location
Digital Library
Title
Beyond Water Restrictions: Informing Effective Lawn Watering Behavior
Other Title Info
Beyond Water Restrictions: Informing Effective Lawn Watering Behavior