Evaluating Urban Water Conservation Programs: A Procedures Manual
Recognized as a leader in the application of innovative water-savings
measurement techniques, PMCL was retained by the California Urban Water
Agencies (representing the eleven largest water purveyors in California)
to prepare a manual for evaluating urban water conservation programs.
This study, entitled "Evaluating Urban Water Conservation Programs:
A Procedures Manual" (1993), was the first guidance on experimental
design issues for water conservation program planning. The manual provides
detailed procedures for conducting empirical evaluations of implemented
conservation programs. Within the manual, the recommended analytical steps
of program evaluation are: (1) design a plan for evaluating the implementation
process of a conservation program; (2) design an evaluation plan for determining
the impacts of a water conservation program (i.e., the water savings);
and (3) develop a long-term program for monitoring water use and conservation.
Furthermore, the manual provides guidance on research designs, sampling
plans, survey techniques, and water-savings estimation methods. The manual
was subsequently published by the American Water Works Association and
has fast become a standard reference for planning and evaluating urban
water conservation programs.
The success of the Procedures Manual led to a series of two-day training
sessions. Under the sponsorship of the Metropolitan Water District of
Southern California, this training was designed for the water conservation
planner and was accompanied by a comprehensive workbook. In the training
course, adequate attention was given to theoretical issues that enhance
student's understanding of the practical water-planning tools presented.
Using the Procedures Manual and the workbook, PMCL has been involved in
a number of workshops around the country providing instruction on water
conservation planning and evaluation methods. These include workshops
in California (3 workshops), Colorado, Nevada, and New Mexico.
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