Increasing Irrigation Restriction Compliance With Water Conservation Messages of Varying Complexity

Permanent residential irrigation restrictions employed in locales, including Florida, are limited by poor awareness and compliance. To inform improved public communication, this electronic survey study, based on the elaboration likelihood model, tested three visual messages conveying varying levels of information (days, times, seasonality) surrounding irrigation restrictions. Nonprobability, quota‐based sampling was used to recruit 2,615 Floridians and randomly assign message treatments to those subject to irrigation restrictions ( n = 459). Treatments influenced information‐seeking likelihood through some modalities; the most informative message prompted the greatest information‐seeking likelihood. “Aware individuals” familiar with irrigation restrictions applicable to them, and thus motivated to engage more deeply with the message, reported greater intent to set their irrigation in alignment with policy, suggesting more information delivered to aware individuals could promote compliance. Potential negative effects among “unaware individuals” (who may have been less motivated to engage) suggest a need for cautious irrigation restriction campaign targeting and development.