But the study has also found people are fed up with endless campaigns about water use.

“A majority of households would actually pay extra on their water bill in order to be able to ‘dob in’ their recalcitrant neighbours,” says economist Bethany Cooper, who obtained data from over 500 households in Victoria and NSW for work towards her PhD.

“The research says people would pay $30 a year to have a 24-hour a day hotline that would guarantee action was taken against water cheats.

“The study also found that households would pay an extra $9 per annum to double the number of water inspectors.

“But the study also highlighted that the social costs of water restrictions to the community at large are often underestimated.

“Do we really want to promote a society based on stronger policing and informing on our neighbours?”

Ms Cooper’s survey included communities that have endured water restrictions for some time, like Bendigo and Goulburn, and 150 homes in Albury-Wodonga.

More than half of the sample came from Sydney and Melbourne.

“One of the findings is that Australians have grown tired of the endless stream of information on water constantly thrust their way,” Ms Cooper said.

“They are tired of the in-your-face message that you need to conserve every last drop.

“Increasingly they are questioning the value of water restrictions in urban areas and whether they contribute in any way to the bigger picture.

“People equate water restrictions with saving the environment but that is not the case — the savings from urban water restrictions are largely insignificant.”

Ms Cooper’s research is part of a broader research program at La Trobe led by water economics expert and executive director of the Albury-Wodonga campus, Dr Lin Crase.

“This study casts some doubt about the efficacy of water restrictions and their long-term use,” he said.