Reducing irrigation usage for residential landscapes is a key strategy for managing water demand, but many property owners struggle to implement effective water conservation. Garden Walks is an educational program that supports trained volunteers to visit local residential properties. They suggest improvements to irrigation systems, mulch usage, grouping plants based on similar water needs, and other water-efficient landscaping techniques. Working with a Marin County water district, we measured water use for 481 households participating in Garden Walks and 478 non-participating households for six years to assess potential water savings. On average, participating households used 7,780 gallons less water in an irrigation season (8% less) than non-participating households. Much of the water savings appears to have come from leak detection. Irrigation leaks were detected in 6% of participating households, and fixing those leaks accounted for nearly 40% of program water savings.
Macon et al. (Tue,) studied this question.