The City of Peoria exists in a unique semi-arid desert region, with water bodies such as Lake Pleasant, the Agua Fria River, and the New River all lying within its borders. The city’s water comes from multiple sources and is distributed through the ubiquitous canal networks that traverse the Phoenix Metropolitan Area. Peoria’s proximity to natural bodies of water, however, does not guarantee protection against climate change effects, such as drought. It is imperative for arid communities like Peoria to strategically plan and prevent future water shortages by strengthening water conservation efforts and developing mitigation plans in preparation for potential drought conditions. The City of Peoria has demonstrated its leadership and dedication to sustainable water management practices through municipal efforts such as the residential water rebate program, Sustainable University classes and workshops, and the development and updates of the city’s 2017 Water Conservation and Shortage Response Plan.
In the Spring 2020 semester, 7 undergraduate and graduate students in 2 classes took on the challenge of developing tangible ways for Peoria to maximize its water conservation efforts, as a continuation of the Water Conservation project initiated in the Fall 2019 semester for Peoria’s partnership with ASU Project Cities. Both projects incorporated extensive research and interviews, as well as consultation with city staff on Peoria’s needs and current efforts.
One capstone from the STC 593: Social Technologies Applied Project course focused on how to tailor public messaging campaigns to increase water conservation behaviors amongst Peoria residents. Peoria’s existing water conservation digital assets were also evaluated by industry experts and
specific suggestions for improving the relevant web pages are outlined in the report. By developing a sample digital media campaign, including the use of graphics developed in the Fall 2019 edition of the project, and determining guidelines for effective water conservation messaging strategies, this project aims to identify key digital communication methods that increase Peoria residents’ awareness and convince them to change their water use behaviors, as part of the effort to mitigate drought in the community. By using systematic methods to test and evaluate both existing and proposed digital media, the project provides Peoria with actionable suggestions that can be implemented in public water conservation communications, and ultimately leave a lasting impact on the community’s water knowledge and behaviors.
Water conservation, especially in arid regions, is an ongoing issue. To be effective, conservation methods and protocols should be reevaluated and updated often. The student research displayed in the following summary report and recommendations aims to assist Peoria in this necessary process. By studying Peoria’s existing protocols and messaging, students have compiled feasible suggestions to assist the city in its continual efforts to conserve water as part of securing a sustainable future for the city’s residents and visitors.