Interdisciplinary Journal of Civil Engineering

Interdisciplinary Journal of Civil Engineering

Assessing Public Participation in the “20 in 30” Water Conservation Campaign under Water Stress: Evidence from Tehran Province, Iran

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Behnam Bakhshi 1
Mohammad Shiri 2
Ali Moridi 3
1 Director of Public Relations and Public Education Office & Water Spokesperson, Tehran Province Water and Wastewater Company
2 Head of Research and Public Opinion Polling, Tehran Province Water and Wastewater Company
3 Faculty of Civil, Water and Environmental Engineering, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran
10.48308/ijce.2026.246866.1032
Abstract
Public communication and social-marketing campaigns are used by water utilities to encourage water conservation during periods of water stress. This study assesses participation and engagement in the “20 in 30” campaign, which aimed to achieve a reduction of 20 liters per day in household water consumption over 30 days, implemented by the Tehran Province Water and Wastewater Company during 1404 (2025–2026). A descriptive–analytical case-study design was used to analyze campaign data, including portal visits, effective visitors, active competition participants, responses, campaign timing, and communication channels. Campaign records showed 200,000 portal visits, 40,000 effective visitors, 17,290 active participants, and 3,699 correct responses. Three engagement indicators were calculated: 20.0% effective reach, 43.23% progression from effective visitors to active participants, and 21.40% progression from active participants to successful respondents. These results indicate substantial engagement within the campaign’s participation pathway. However, they represent participation and behavioral engagement rather than direct causal evidence of reduced water consumption, as the dataset lacks customer-level pre/post comparisons or a control group. Findings are discussed using the Theory of Planned Behavior, social-marketing principles, and behavioral-change frameworks. The study recommends integrating participation data with metered consumption data in future studies.
Keywords
Water Demand Management
Water Conservation
Social Marketing
Behavioral Change
Public Participation
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Interdisciplinary Journal of Civil Engineering
Volume 2, Issue 2 - Serial Number 6
Spring 2026
Pages 204-221