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Regional Water Efficiency Program
Blue Thumb Neighbors
December 21, 2010
Category: Community-Based Social Marketing Pilot Project
Title: Blue Thumb Neighbors
Summary: In February 2010, the Regional Water Authority (RWA), City of Roseville and 18 local water
providers launched a Community-Based Social Marketing (CBSM) pilot project designed to help
neighbors create beautiful, water-efficient landscapes. With the Sacramento region's hot, dry climate
and long summer season, more than 65 percent of a household's yearly water consumption typically
goes toward landscape irrigation. Of that, 30 percent is lost due to overwatering or evaporation, so the
potential for savings is huge.
Goals and objectives: Called “Blue Thumb Neighbors,” the goal of this ongoing pilot project is to
motivate residential water users to adopt water-efficient behaviors and reduce their water use over the
long-term. Another goal is to strengthen the Water Wise House Call program, a free service offered by
water providers to help residential customers use water more efficiently. Program objectives include:
 Helping participants reduce landscape water use and water waste by 20 percent in comparison
to 2007, 2008 and 2009 or pre-program, as measured by meter readings.
 Fostering a positive attitude about the need for efficient landscape water use, as measured by
pre- and post-program written/e-mail surveys of participants.
 Creating lasting behavior change so that landscape water use reductions are maintained over
the course of one year, as measured by meter readings and written/e-mail surveys.
 Motivating homeowners to undertake at least two of 18 key water-efficient behaviors that are
most likely to reduce outdoor water use, as measured by a post-survey.
Strategies and activities include:
 Identifying a cohesive neighborhood to participate in the pilot project.
 Working with well-known, well-respected neighborhood influencers to recruit others to
participate.
 Asking participants to sign a written pledge/commitment to participate in the program.
 Making that commitment public by placing a lawn sign in their yard. Also, promoting
neighborhood participation in the neighborhood newsletter.
 Providing free at-home consultations on efficient watering and landscape design.
 Providing three educational workshops on 1) Sustainable Landscape Design, 2) Efficient
Irrigation and 3) Right Plant, Right Place.
 Providing lists of suggestions for creating a beautiful, water-efficient landscape, asking
participants to select items they plan to implement, as well as identify a timeframe for doing so.
 Providing feedback and updates via newsletter articles, e-mails and letters to participants about
progress others are making toward their goals.
 Providing monthly reports and ratings (up to three Thumbs Up for efficient water use) of each
customer’s water use in comparison to 1) other similar households and 2) efficient households
in the service area.
Preliminary results: Sixteen residents participated in the pilot project of which two were townhome
residents. After the first year of this two-year program, results include positive change in 17 of 18 key
Document1
Regional Water Efficiency Program
Blue Thumb Neighbors
December 21, 2010
water-efficient behaviors tested (as measured by written/e-mail surveys). Participants report the
greatest adoption of the following behaviors, saying that they now…
 Group plants by their water needs (7.1 percent pre-program to 72.7 percent post-program)
 Check their irrigation system every month (28.6 percent to 81.8 percent)
 Use low-water use plants in their yard (7.1 percent to 60 percent)
 Choose plants suited to the Sacramento region (42.8 percent to 81.9 percent)
 Use auto shut-off nozzle on hose (71.4 percent to 100 percent)
In addition, participants reported during interviews that they have made progress on the following:
 Improving irrigation (i.e. replacing defective heads, reducing runoff, adjusting the irrigation
schedule)
 Developing water-efficient landscape design plans
 Making landscape changes (i.e. removing thirsty plants, installing low-water use plants or
hardscape)
One participant reported removing all bushes, trees and turf from her back yard, installing all drip
irrigation and planting 150 low-water use plants, trees and shrubs.
Next steps: The pilot project will continue to be evaluated in 2011, including tracking water use
data/meter readings and providing monthly progress reports/ratings to participants. In addition, the
program will continue providing feedback to participants on their plans and progress via e-mails and
newsletter articles in order to encourage momentum and help turn participant plans into action. Based
upon the pilot project’s preliminary results, the Regional Water Authority plans to expand the program
into another neighborhood in the Sacramento region with the goal of increasing homeowner
participation.
Budget: $19,920 for a CBSM/public outreach consultant to design and implement the program,
approximately 44 hours ($1,451) for City of Roseville water conservation and administrative staff and 10
hours ($200) in Regional Water Authority staff time to generate comparative billing reports. Note that
City of Roseville staff said the number of hours contributed to this program is reasonable and will likely
be required of water providers participating in similar programs.
Contact: Linda Higgins, Regional Water Efficiency Program Manager, (916) 967-7625,
lhiggins@rwah2org, www.BeWaterSmart.info or Lisa Brown, City of Roseville Conservation
Administrator, (916) 746-1710, LBrown@roseville.ca.us.
Agency: The RWA Water Efficiency Program includes 18 water providers serving approximately 2 million
customers in the Sacramento region of Northern California.
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