Water Demand Management Policies Research Articles

Prioritisation of parameters influencing residential water use and wastewater flow

ABSTRACT H. E. Jacobs (corresponding author)Department of Civil Engineering,University of Stellenbosch,Private Bag X1, Matieland 7602,South AfricaE-mail: hejacobs@sun.ac.zaJ. HaarhoffDepartment of Civil Engineering Science,University of Johannesburg,P.O. Box 524, Aucklandpark 2006,South AfricaTel.: +27 11 559 2148,Fax: +27 11 559 2395 A residential end use model (REUM) which accounts for indoor water demand, outdoor waterdemand, hot water demand, wastewater flow and the mass of total dissolved substances (TDS) inthe wastewater, was earlier described by the authors. The integral relationship between waterquality and quantity in the model allows for holistic modelling of different water demandmanagement measures’ effects. The model covers 16 independent micro-components of wateruse and requires numerous model parameters. This paper has the objective to prioritise the 79parameters which remain after stripping all possible redundancy from the model in terms of theirrelative impact. Two ranking criteria are used: the elasticity and the sensitivity of each parameter.The results, benchmarked to a typical South African suburban residence, show that householdsize is the most notable parameter for modelling the indoor water demand, hot water demandand wastewater flow volume. Pan evaporation and a factor describing actual lawn irrigation inrelation to theory are most notable for modelling the outdoor demand. Wastewater TDSconcentration is dominated by what is added at the toilet rather than pharmaceuticals andpersonal care products (PPCPs) added at other entry points to the wastewater system. Themethodology developed and results obtained underpin the view that effective water demandmanagement policies can only be rationally formulated with the assistance of a comprehensivewater and wastewater model based on micro-components of water use.

A national water demand management policy in Jordan

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to present a proposal for formulating a national water demand management policy for Jordan. The objective is to stimulate discussion on the development and adoption of a formal policy document.Design/methodology/approachThe paper reviews data on water availability and use in Jordan. This is followed by a discussion of a number of policy objectives and elements.FindingsThe paper results in the formulation of a policy that should be further reviewed and made official by the Ministry of Water and Irrigation in Jordan.Originality/valueThe paper is a new source of information on the necessary elements of water policy.

Lights and Shadows of Urban Water Demand Management: The Case of the Metropolitan Region of Barcelona

The economic, social, and environmental limits of supplying water to metropolitan areas through conventional means (reservoirs, water transfers, etc.) have resulted in growing consideration of demand management actions as well as in the use of non-conventional sources of supply. In terms of demand management, economic instruments (pricing and taxes), domestic water-saving technologies, and educational campaigns to encourage water saving during periods of drought have received special attention. While demand management policies have an effect on conserving water and therefore should be welcome, they present problems and uncertainties as well. Using the example of the metropolitan region of Barcelona, in this article I argue that water demand management policies may be insufficient for reaching their ultimate goal of controlled water consumption when confronted with structural changes in urban development such as the expansion of low-density growth, the multiplication of the number of households, or gains in income, all of which lead to a potentially greater demand for water. This calls for more integration of water policies with land use and urban development policies.

Overcoming constraints to the implementation of water demand management in southern Africa

This paper presents results of a study on water demand management status and overcoming constraints to implementation of water demand management in the southern African region, as part of Phase II of water demand management (WDM) programme implemented by the IUCN (The World Conservation Union). The study was conducted in Malawi, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The study methodology consisted of a survey of literature, and interviewing and communicating with stakeholders in order to learn from stakeholders on the critical constraints to WDM implementation and strategies to overcome them. The study has shown that, despite the potential savings that would accrue from implementation of WDM, the water sector across the southern African region continues to focus on water supply augmentation. There are inadequate financial and human resources for rehabilitation, operation and maintenance of water conveyance systems resulting in system leaks, which contribute to high levels of unaccounted-for water, a situation that masks the potential benefits of WDM. In most countries, the water sector operates on ad-hoc sub-sector water user objectives, which provided guidelines only for development and management purposes. Most of the institutional frameworks have remained diffuse, resulting into poor performance in the sector, and into crisis management in the water resources development. Though the WDM policy in most countries is already accessible through guidelines for catchment management institutions and water supply institutions; there is a lack of broad commitment to implementing them. In other countries the instruments are relatively new and have not been applied widely. Similarly, the effectiveness of instruments has not been well evaluated in most countries. In countries where policy is weak there is often a lack of clarity as to who is responsible for WDM implementation, and even less clarity on who is responsible for facilitating and monitoring implementation, and taking appropriate action when a serious case of non-performance occurs. Thus, one of the main strategies to overcome constraints to implementing WDM in the region is through high-level advocacy to increase awareness among the stakeholders at different levels on the needs and benefits of WDM. There is also need for capacity building that target the private and public sector planners responsible for development of proposals, as well as at scheme managers and operators who have to implement WDM. The results of study have indicated that it is not sufficient to know how to implement WDM. One needs to know what requires implementation, when to implement it, how to select and motivate the most appropriate parties to implement it and how to audit the results.

Economic Analysis of Residential, Commercial, and Industrial Uses of Water in Sri Lanka

The aim of this study is to provide an economic analysis of urban water use with a view to enhance the understanding of the factors influencing urban water demand and to estimate price elasticities of residential, commercial, and industrial water demands in Sri Lanka. Lack of research in the Sri Lanka context of this area and the need for understanding the price elasticity of demand for urban water for effective implementation of the new water-demand management policy formulated by the Government of Sri Lanka in early 2000 were important motivations for this study. Separate water-demand functions for each of the major sectors were estimated, using monthly time series for 60 months from January 1994 to December 1998. In general, the price is found to have a significant effect on water demand, and this effect is much higher for the industrial sector than for the residential and commercial sectors. In addition, real income, number of connections (population), and weather variables are found to be important determinants of urban water demand. Estimated price elasticities are -0.18, -0.17, and -1.34 for the residential, commercial, and industrial water demands, respectively. The study concludes that while the price will be an important tool in influencing demand, other measures such as public education and information/awareness will be necessary to achieve desired reductions in water consumption, especially in the less-responsive residential and commercial sectors.