What is The Ripple Effect?
The Ripple Effect is a community codesigned pilot program which seeks to support our residential community to conserve water, be mindful of its use and minimise wastage.
We aim to inspire each participant to build a conscious connection with their water use – so they understand why change is needed and feel empowered to reduce their usage in ways that work for them.
Why we’re running the program
The Northern Rivers’ water supply is a precious and limited resource. Alongside working to secure our water future with the Future Water project, we are also researching innovative ways to reduce usage and demand on our existing water supply.
By using a rigorous scientific approach to this program, we aim to make it easy and effective for people in the Northern Rivers to reduce their water usage and preserve this precious resource for generations to come.
How the program works
A new scientific approach
Historically, programs like this focused on mass education, like workshops, brochures, and media campaigns – but research shows that awareness alone rarely leads to lasting action. Voluntary approaches that use personalised commitment and timely feedback tap into people’s own motivations, making them far more effective. That’s why we’re testing these targeted methods alongside a control group to see what really works.
Why codesign is important
Codesign is a collaborative process where the local community is actively involved in designing a program. Instead of delivering top-down solutions or telling people what to do, The Ripple Effect has spoken with Rous customers to understand their values, barriers, and motivations to help shape the goals, strategies, and tools used to reduce water consumption.
Codesign fosters a sense of partnership and mutual respect, builds trust and encourages participation. This shifts the dynamic from one of compliance to one of contribution. We want to empower people to feel like they’re part of the solution, not the problem, which strengthens community identity and motivation to change behaviour. Research also tells us that codesigned programs are more flexible and adaptive to local contexts making them more likely to work and be sustained in the long term.
Commitment as a driver of change
Research shows that when people make a personal commitment to change a behaviour, they’re more likely to follow through. This is because we naturally want our actions to match our intentions. When they don’t, it creates a kind of mental discomfort called cognitive dissonance. That’s why we’re testing the impact of asking participants in our intervention group to commit to specific, practical changes in how they use water around the home and garden, and educating and empowering them to follow through.
Feedback as a motivator
Providing people with personalised feedback about their water use significantly increases the likelihood of sustained behaviour change. Research suggests that feedback works best in programs like this when it includes a:
- Comparison with similar households.
- Recommendation for progress, reinforcing intrinsic motivation.
- Clear, attainable challenge to work towards achieving.
Why financial incentives don’t work
External rewards, like rebates or prizes, can spark short-term change, but research shows that once the reward is received, people often return to old habits. Lasting change is more likely when it’s driven by intrinsic motivators, like a sense of personal achievement or wanting to do what others around us are doing. That’s why The Ripple Effect focuses on tapping into these deeper, more sustainable motivators.
