Parcel‐level modeling of end‐use water demands in public supply

Abstract

Current methodologies to estimate urban water end uses are largely limited to macro‐level analyses that rely heavily on average values. These approaches might offer reasonable estimates in the aggregate, but they fail to differentiate between water users and end‐use devices. In order to target customers for water conservation, this article provides a methodology by which to carry out an end‐use inventory to arrive at the number, water use efficiency, and frequency of use of water end‐use devices at the parcel level for four single‐family, five multifamily, and 55 commercial, industrial, and institutional public supply sectors. Such a detailed inventory provides a better understanding of water use and facilitates the evaluation of savings and targeting of individual end‐use retrofits associated with water conservation practices based on cost‐effectiveness. The seven modeled end uses are male‐only toilets, mixed‐use toilets, urinals, faucets, showerheads, clothes washers, and prerinse spray valves.