Attitude–behavior consistency in household water consumption

•Reliable predictors of participation in water conservation activities are: concern about water scarcity, age, gender, income, and support of the NEP.•Environmental concern about water scarcity and sociodemographic factors combined predicted 9 percent of the variation in conservation behaviors.•Higher income, age, and pro-environmental attitudes proved predictive of both cumulative water conservation behaviors and the majority of individual water conservation behaviors.

The purpose of this paper is to examine how environmental attitudes and concern about water scarcity translate into water conservation behavior. The study considers whether Oregonians environmental concern measured by the New Environmental Paradigm scale and sociodemographic characteristics influence personal water conservation activities. Using a survey conducted in the spring of 2010 of Oregon residents, the interaction of environmental concern and sociodemographics that predict identified water conservation behaviors are considered.