Residential water customers respond to calls for demand and consumption management. Experience demonstrates that peaking problems, caused by high outdoors usage, can be significantly reduced. And, overall annual residential usage can be effectively controlled as well.

Set in the high desert community of Boise, Idaho, a year-long program measured customer behavior and usage before and after intervention by the water supplier. Metered usage was benchmarked before the program began, and then measured again one year later. The findings, as reported by the water supplier, showed the following :
~ Outdoor uses and consumption reduced by 12%;
~ Overall annual consumption reduced by 10%.

The program that generated these results was Pencilbrook's Waterwatch®. It was offered, by direct mail,without any publicity or advance notice. Customer participation and opinion of program value was very high:
~ 19% participated;
~ 89% of participants rated the program "Good" or "Excellent."

In summary, the water supplier determined that the program exceeded expectations.