Household Water Usage Research Articles

A taxonomy of demand management strategies for sustainable water consumption in urban households

ABSTRACT Excessive urban household water usage is a pressing global issue faced by many cities. This study aims to develop a concise yet encompassing taxonomy of water demand management strategies, offering a clear and organized framework that enables comparison and evaluation of strategies, informs policy and decision-making, and fosters an interdisciplinary approach to water demand management research. An analytical literature review using grounded theory and hermeneutics was conducted to find key concepts and constructs, identify relationships among them, and synthesize these elements into a coherent framework. The resulting taxonomy presents a classification of demand management strategies into five categories: Psychological, Educational-Communicational, Technological, Economical, and Coercive-Legal.

Examining the Long-Run and Short-Run Relationship between Water Demand and Socio-Economic Explanatory Variables: Evidence from Amman

This study investigates the key factors that influence household water usage in Amman, Jordan, with the aim of improving water management practices in a region facing significant scarcity. The research focuses on factors such as temperature, water pricing, system input, and family size. The Vector Error Correction Model with Exogenous Variables (VECMX) is applied to data from 1980 to 2015 to provide insights into consumption patterns, both in the short-term and long-term. The results show that family size and marginal costs significantly impact long-term water demand, while system input and family size influence short-term water demand. The study also finds that water pricing has a limited impact on consumer behavior, indicating inelasticity. Temperature and income, however, did not emerge as significant determinants. These findings highlight the need for water management policies in arid areas like Amman to prioritize factors other than price, such as household size and water infrastructure, to establish more effective strategies for conserving water.

COMPARISON OF FEASIBILITY ANALYSIS OF INVESTMENT WITH GRAVITY SYSTEM AND PUMPING SYSTEM IN THE IKK IBU WATER SUPPLY, WEST HALMAHERA REGENCY

Water is a basic need for all living things on this earth, not least for individual humans themselves, that water is the support of daily activities for human survival. The average household water usage in Indonesia is 60 liters per day per person or 45% of the total usage is for drinking, cooking, washing clothes, cleaning houses and vehicles and performing worship. Kecamatan Ibu has a population of 12. 241 people who have not been covered by access to drinking water in the West Halmahera Regency area, but have a Drinking Water Supply System (SPAM) for the Sub-district Capital (IKK) which was built in 2004 supplying 700 house connections (SR) in 2 villages, namely; Maritango Village and Akeboso Village which is taken from Akeboso Spring of 20 L/Det, Since 2017 SPAM IKK Ibu has not functioned due to damage to the piping network due to road widening work, damage to generators and pumps, in this study the authors will analyze the feasibility of investment for 9 villages that will get water with a total population of 1. 102 people by estimating the Budget Plan Cost (RAB) using the PermenPU No. 1 of 2022 guidelines and calculating investment feasibility by calculating Net Present Value (NPV), Internal of Return (IRR), Benefit Cost Ratio (BCR) and Payback Period (PP) and the results obtained in the gravity system have a greater investment value of Rp 13,524,301,000 compared to the pumping system which is Rp 11,919,456,000 from the calculation of the Budget Plan Cost (RAB).

Transforming consumption: The role of values, beliefs, and norms in promoting four types of sustainable behavior

AbstractThis study examines the value based predicting factors of sustainable consumption (SC) behaviors of individuals by examining four types of environmentally significant consumer behavior, that is, purchase, household energy and water usage, mobility, and recycling. A structured questionnaire‐based survey was used to collect data and verify the research framework guiding the hypotheses for all four types of consumer behavior. Four separate Structural Equation Models (SEM) were utilized to test the formulated hypotheses and model using the data from 1025 respondents (281 for purchase, 265 for household energy and water use, 273 for mobility, and 206 for recycling) ages 18–74. The results indicate that the extended version of value‐belief‐norm (VBN) theory could provide a good explanation of the sustainable purchase behaviors of consumers, compared to household energy and water usage, mobility, and recycling. The results of the study suggest that having high levels of biospheric values, ecological worldview, personal norms, behavioral intention, awareness of consequences, ascription of responsibility, and low egoistic values have influence on consumers when they make eco‐friendly product purchases. Although similar results are found for other examined behaviors, the model fits are not as strong and explanatory powers are lower. This research reveals that marketing managers need to adopt differential marketing strategies to influence consumer sustainable decision‐making in the four environmentally significant behaviors of purchase, energy and water usage, mobility, and recycling. This paper concludes with policy implications of the findings for marketers and policymakers, as well as potential directions for further research.

The environmental impact of keeping a tropical aquarium in Northern Europe.

Tropical fishkeeping is a popular practice in societies across the globe and involves recreating and sustaining an entire ecosystem in an aquarium within a domestic setting. The process invariably has an environmental impact, yet an assessment of this impact has previously been limited to the ecological consequences of harvesting fish from the wild or the release of non-native fish species. Provided here are the first estimates of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2 eq) emissions produced from running a tropical aquarium across multiple countries in Northern Europe (France, Poland and the UK), along with water consumption. Estimates were produced in silico and are discussed in the context of freshwater and marine aquariums, calculated using example aquarium sizes of 50, 200 and 400 l. Using estimates from the UK, depending on size and running conditions, a tropical aquarium produces an estimated 85.3-635.2 kg of CO2 eq per year, equating to 1.6%-12.4% of the UK annual average household CO2 emissions, and uses 156-31,200 l of water per year, equating to 0.2%-30.1% of the UK annual average household water usage. Despite this, comparison with the CO2 eq of an average-size dog (127-1592 kg of CO2 eq per year) or cat (121-251 kg of CO2 eq per year), estimated from meat consumption alone, demonstrates that ornamental fishkeeping can be a more environmentally conscious pet choice. In addition, the majority of CO2 eq produced from tropical fishkeeping is generated from the energy consumption of aquarium equipment and as more national electricity grids begin to decarbonize, this estimate should decrease.

A Smart Water Management System for Detecting Household Water Wastage

Water scarcity in Kenya is a significant issue that cannot be overlooked. Despite numerous efforts by Water Service Providers to deliver water services to Kenyan residents, the high demand for accessible water across the country remains unmet. In addition, the service provider’s ability to meet this demand is further impeded by various obstacles including inadequate control over water usage, insufficient resources to manage and conserve water, and the dilapidated water infrastructure within the nation. While attempts have been made to try and address these concerns, they’ve been largely manual and expensive hence lacking the potential for scalability. Globally, water resources continue to decline rapidly due to the impact of climate change and water overuse, therefore action must be taken to conserve this resource. This study investigates the development of a smart water management system using water flow sensors connected directly to the water appliances that integrate with the existing water system, Node MCU microcontrollers and a cloud-based application. The solution focuses on monitoring household water usage frequency to inform users of their consumption and alert them via mobile notifications of potential water leaks to reduce wastage. Management and control of household water consumption is a positive contribution towards water conservation efforts.

Understanding Water Consumption in Qatar: Evidence From a Nationally Representative Survey

ABSTRACT This paper presents an analysis of a nationally representative (n = 1,002) telephone survey conducted in Qatar on habits, perceptions, and religious attitudes related to water use. Our empirical analysis yields three main findings. When asked whether religious obligation was a reason to save water, of respondents agreed with the statement, showing it to be an important stated motive for water conservation. However, we find no statistically significant relationship between stated attitudes towards water use and actual water consumption. Second, when asked to estimate their monthly water use, participants’ actual water consumption was similar to how they perceived it to be, on average, but different at the decile level. Third, certain household water usage characteristics are associated with significantly higher levels of water consumption. These include: nationality, education, number of adults in the residence, among others.

Conveying Water's Weight and Value

Water utilities can help their customers better understand their household water usage—and the real value of water—by getting them to visualize what people without tap water must bear to supply their household water.

Urban household water usage in adaptation to climate change: Evidence from China

While it has been concluded that climate change poses a significant threat to worldwide supply of freshwater resources, it is unclear if and how demand for water would also be affected. To fill this knowledge gap, we leverage on ‘big data’ collected using smart water meters from over 40,000 Chinese urban households, spanning nine years and ten provinces to examine the relationship between daily household water usage and climate variability. At the baseline, we find that municipal water is not only a coping mechanism for heat, but its usage is accelerated during heatwave events. Heterogeneity analyses reveal that households from lower-valued properties are more likely to substitute water for electricity to counter heat. Importantly, we find evidence of adaptation behaviors where over time, households are using increasingly more water to cope with high-temperature days. In all, after feeding our results into climate projection models, it is estimated that household water usage will increase by around 7–44% in the long-term (2080–2099) under emissions scenarios of SSP245 and SSP370. Our findings are especially relevant for water-scarce countries such as China as well as developing countries where water is a cheaper and more accessible resource to cope with heat.

Household domestic water consumption patterns in a rural semi-arid village: A case study of Kumbha village in Hisar district, Haryana

The need for water in India is increasing as a result of development, both in urban and rural areas. This could exacerbate tensions and conflicts over the distribution of water sources. Understanding the specifics of actual water use on a household level is critical for water demand management. As a result, based on questionnaires and interview surveys of 105 households consisting 10 per cent of total households, this paper investigates the pattern of domestic water consumption in semi-arid Kumbha village of Hisar district in Haryana state of India, in order to better understand how local communities in the region relate to water. The study looked at household water usage on a daily and activity basis, as well as the sources, quality, duration of water supply, and awareness of water storage. According to the study's findings, the village's daily average water usage is 105 per person per capita per day. Cloth washing uses the most water utilized activity. The Calculated value of chi square test is greater than tabulated value hence null hypothesis is rejected at 5% level of significance. It is found that the people with high income utilize more water than the others. However most of residents are dissatisfied with the duration of their water supply, and 38 per cent are unaware of conservation technologies. This needs to be addressed immediately by affecting public perception through the media and conducting public awareness campaigns. It is believed that the study's findings may assist Indian policymakers and planners in optimising current water resources for rural development.

Consumer perception and information in a model of household water usage: The case of jacksonville, FL

Consumption of bottled water in the U.S. continues to grow despite the higher user price and greater environmental cost relative to municipal tap water. Convenience is surely one reason for this trend, but it is less relevant for in-home consumption of bottled water. The existing literature highlights perceptions of quality, access to information and personal experience as important factors influencing water usage in the home. In this paper we report the results of a 2018 survey of water customers of Jacksonville Electric Authority (JEA), the primary municipal water utility in Northeast Florida. The survey includes detailed questions regarding self-reported household water usage, information availability, information processing, trust in institutions and demographic characteristics. In addition, in cooperation with JEA, we matched the survey results with administrative data on geographic location within the system. Using a bivariate probit regression method, we estimate the determinants of water usage in the home. The results show that concern for drinking water safety is the principal contributor of bottled water consumption. Moreover, the evidence illustrates how information from water quality reports and objective measures of water hardness translate into the drinking water choice. We also show that greater transaction costs of bottled water due to low access to retail suppliers is associated with a substitution of water filtration for bottled water.

Smart metering technology and community participation: investigating household water usage and perceived value of hybrid water systems

Abstract Hybrid water systems (HWSs) are emerging as an alternative decentralised and cost-effective approach for urban water management. Although continuous monitoring is recognised as an essential step to inform the planning and design of water services, a knowledge gap has been identified in the integration of water use monitoring, HWSs and community participation. This research compares water practices of households with and without HWSs, integrating both quantitative and qualitative data. Water use data were collected at selected households via smart meters at 30 minute intervals. R computing software was used for data analytics and dashboard visualisation. Qualitative data on water practices was collected through one-to-one interviews, on-line surveys and community workshops. On a per capita basis, sites with HWSs have a 20% lower total water demand and 41% lower mains water demand than sites without HWSs. Depending on the level of sophistication of the installed HWS, the reduction of mains water use across the participants ranged from 20% to as high as 80%. Almost all sites with HWSs were able to meet the state government targets (40–60 kL/person/y) on annual per capita mains water usage. The seasonality of rainwater supply versus the weather-independent supply of greywater was observed in the data. The qualitative data collected during community engagement highlighted the importance of establishing a personal connection between the individual and the water resource and of involving the resident in the different stages of harvesting, using and disposing of water. This is expected to contribute to a higher perceived value of the water resources by improving awareness, making knowledge more accessible, improving the transparency between the community needs and the water utility decisions. To this end, the role of digital technologies in the water sector plays a role in assisting with the paradigm shift from centralised water networks to an integrated and community-empowered, centralised-hybrid water system.

Study on reuse of grey water – A Review

Water scarcity is a huge problem and is been consistently increasing every year. Many of the water systems that keep ecosystems flourishing and feed a growing human population became stressed. Ocean, river, lake, streams are too much polluted. A lot of technologies are available on water recycling. Greywater is around 50% of household water usage but unfailing information relating to both the characteristics of greywater and the variety of recycling technologies are not available. In this review paper we have discussed the relative merits of different options available in greywater recycling and viability of onsite recycling systems.

Storage tanks for household water usage in Brazil: Microbiological and chemical quality, and maintenance of sanitary conditions

Introduction: Storage tanks for household water usage guarantees convenience and safety forconsumers in relation to water intermittency. Neglecting a minimal care for storage tanks can turnthem into a source of water unfit for consumption. Objective: Evaluate the physical, chemical, andmicrobiological quality of water in household tanks to highlight the need for individual actions toguarantee the quality of water consumed at home. Methods: Residents of 217 homes answereda questionnaire to gather information about the water storage tank conditions and maintenance.Chlorine dosing, pH and temperature measurements were performed in situ and metal analyseswere made using an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The presence ofparasites was evaluated using the spontaneous sedimentation technique and presence of bacteriafrom the coliform groups (total and fecal) were made using the multiple-tube technique with thechromogenic substrate. Results: Results showed that 115 participants knew the correct storage tankmaintenance period and 109 participants did not perform the storage tank maintenance at therecommended frequency. Mean values of chlorine, pH, and temperature were 1.34 mg/L, 6.5, and25.4 ºC, respectively. Average concentrations of metals were below the maximum values allowed.Parasites and bacteria were not detected. Tests indicated the water samples were in accordancewith the potable water quality standards endorsed or recommended by the Brazilian legislation.Conclusion: Results did not show microbiological contamination in study samples. Nevertheless, it isnecessary to keep the population regularly informed about the importance to maintain storage watertanks clean. Currently, there is a growing concern with the development of individual actions aimedat human health and prevention of water-related diseases concerning its access and use. Therefore,we need health education programs to guide community participation into the promotion of a betterquality of life.

The Household Water Usage Community Awareness Regarding Water Pollution and Factors Associated with it Among Adult Residents in MOH Area, Uduvil

Introduction: Water pollution is a one of the public health burdens and the consumption of contaminated water has adverse health effects and even affects fetal development. The objective was to describe the household water usage pattern, community awareness of water pollution and factors associated with it among adult residents in MOH area, Uduvil. Method: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on a community-based sample of 817 adult residents with multi stage cluster sampling method. The data was collected by an int erviewer adm inistered questi onnaire. Statistically significance for selected factors and awareness were analyzed with chi square and Mann-Whitney U test. Results: This study sample consisted of 85% (n=695) female, mean age of 47.8±16.2. Majority 97.5% (n=797) of the participants knew about the water pollution in their area. Only 23% (n=188) participants knew about all the characters of good water. Among the participants 48.6% (n=397) had noticed the organoleptic changes in their own well and only 1.5% (n=12) had confirmed the pollution by lab test. Among them 71.2% (n=582) were treating the water and 24.9% were boiling the water. The median knowledge score was 10.93. There is significant difference in knowledge related to water pollution among different educational levels (U=53339.5, p<0.001) and the presence of water related diseases in the family (U=54146.5, P<0.01). There was a significant association with the age groups and their water treatment practices (χ2= 7.17, P<0.01), the presence of under 5-year age child in the family had significant association with water treatment practices (χ2=13.1, P<0.001).

Inverse Wave Reflectometry Method for Hydraulic Transient-Based Pipeline Condition Assessment

Established water distribution systems (WDSs) typically consist of pipelines buried underground that are aging and deteriorating, and as such, it is difficult to assess their condition for maintenance and replacement. This paper proposes a novel hydraulic transient-based inverse wave reflectometry method (IWRM) for condition assessment of water pipelines in WDSs. Instead of using the method of characteristics (MOC) for the transient modeling, a computationally high-efficiency wave reflectometry method (WRM) has been developed to simulate the transient response of a pipe system. Further efficiency improvement has been made by simplifying the friction term in the WRM. An IWRM has then been developed by combining the WRM with a differential evolution algorithm to calibrate the locations and magnitudes of the pipeline impedance changes (wall thickness changes and wave speed changes) caused by deterioration. The IWRM is able to concentrate on the major wave reflections caused by pipe impedance changes and minimize the effects from background noise and other interferences, such as background pressure fluctuations (i.e., those caused by pump operations, tank level fluctuations, and household water usage) and wave reflections by pipe fittings. The proposed method has a high efficiency due to its fast WRM simulation and its small number of optimization variables. Extensive numerical verifications have been conducted on reservoir-pipeline-valve systems with a uniform deteriorated pipe section, a nonuniform deteriorated section, and multiple deteriorated sections. The deteriorated sections in these case studies were all well detected even though the pressure signals were contaminated with strong noise. Experimental verification has also been conducted on a laboratory copper pipeline with one thinner-walled pipe section successfully identified.

Thermoelectric water meter energy harvesting

Domestic electronic water meters are installed by water meter utility companies to accurately measure household water usage for billing purposes, progressing from simple electromechanical systems to state-of-the art volumetric electronic smart meters with RF radio transmission, remote reading, and automatic billing capability. The motivation for this work is to replace, or increase the lifetime of, the on-board lithium-ion battery installed in electronic water meters with a thermoelectric energy harvesting solution to create a business advantage. Practical field experiments at several different water meter installations in the UK, USA, and Australia have demonstrated a temperature difference can exist between the top-side and bottom-side of a water meter, and between several different areas of the meter and the surrounding air. This temperature difference can be harnessed to generate electrical power using thermoelectricity. A prototype thermoelectric water meter energy harvesting system has been designed, and experiments demonstrate the system will operate when a temperature difference is present across the thermoelectric module, giving an output voltage of 3.7 V to power the water meter electronics directly or to provide a charge current for the existing lithium-ion battery to increase its lifetime. The work concludes it is feasible, although still challenging, to develop a solution for a novel thermoelectric powered water meter. Further work is required to address the commercial challenges that exist, develop and optimise the prototype solution into a production ready prototype, and conduct further tests using a standard UK domestic water profile at a UK water meter test site.

Springing for Safe Water: Drinking Water Quality and Source Selection in Central Appalachian Communities

Issues surrounding water infrastructure, access, and quality are well documented in the Central Appalachian region of the United States. Even in cases where residents have in-home piped point-of-use (POU) water, some rely on alternative drinking water sources for daily needs—including water collection from roadside springs. This effort aims to better understand and document spring usage in this region by identifying the factors that influence drinking water source selection and comparing household and spring water quality to Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) health-based and aesthetic contaminant recommendations. Households were recruited from communities surrounding known springs in three states (Kentucky, Virginia, and West Virginia). First- and second-draw, in-home POU tap water samples were collected from participating households and compared to samples collected from local springs on the same day. Samples were analyzed for fecal indicator bacteria and inorganic ions. Study participants completed surveys to document perceptions of household drinking water and typical usage. The majority of survey participants (82.6%) did not trust their home tap water due to aesthetic issues. Water quality results suggested that fecal indicator bacteria were more common in spring water, while several metallic ions were recovered in higher concentrations from household samples. These observations highlight that health risks and perceptions may be different between sources.

Perceptions of Quality and Household Water Usage: A Representative Study in Jacksonville, FL

When faced with the fear of low-quality tap water, households are motivated to seek out and use alternatives. This study investigated the role of quality perception and aesthetics on choices among three modes of household water usage: unfiltered tap water, filtered tap water, and bottled water. The data were based on a telephone survey of randomly selected households in Jacksonville, FL, conducted during March 2016. As the three modes of water usage were not mutually exclusive, a multivariate probit model was fitted and simultaneous parameter estimates were generated for each of three binary equations. The key results suggest that concerns regarding safety, contamination and sickness linked to unfiltered tap water are associated with increased bottled water usage in the home, but they have no effect on water filter usage. By contrast, complaints about foul-smelling water are associated with increased usage of water filters. In addition, the evidence implies that while water filter usage increases with household income, bottled water usage appears insensitive to changes in income. Finally, African-American households have a higher probability than other racial groups of using bottled water in the home, all else equal.

Water supply system in Titab village and Telaga village, Busungbiu district, Buleleng regency

The rate of population growth in Titab and Telaga Village, Busungbiu District, Buleleng Regency in 2007-2010 reaches 0.75%, which affects the level of water demand needed for daily needs. One of the efforts to meet the needs of raw water for drinking water, among others, by the development of a potable water supply system infrastructure. Based on the facts, it is necessary to design Water Supply System (SPAM) in Titab and Telaga Village with Titab Reservoir spring with 350 l/dt of debit which is expected to give standard of quantity, quality, continuity of service for Titab and Telaga Village which is 5 km from the dam. In order to maximize the service to the community in Titab and Telaga Village, it is necessary to know the use of drinking water for each household. The next analysis is the calculation of projected drinking water needs over the next 20 years. Planning and calculation of water distribution using WaterCad i8 Software. From the result of projection analysis, the drinking water requirement in Titab and Telaga Village based on the fact of household drinking water usage in 2037 is 5,568 lt/sec. While the effort to maximize water supply network services is by projecting drinking water needs in Titab and Telaga Village based on the fact of household drinking water usage. With the help of WaterNet Software, it will simplify the distribution network planning of drinking water in order to produce integrated drinking water network system to meet the needs of clean water in Titab and Telaga Village.