Household Demand For Water And Policies To Encourage Conservation

Author : Aaron Hodges
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 274 pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (851 download)

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Download or read book An Investigation of the Conservation Potential and Seasonality of Water Use in the Non-domestic Sectors written by Aaron Hodges and published by . This book was released on 2012 with total page 274 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The world's water resources are under increasing pressure from population growth, pollution, climate change, and water hungry societies whose consumption far exceeds the limits of local resources. Growing uncertainty has fuelled calls for water Demand Management (DM) policies, which take a holistic approach to problems such as growing urban water use per capita. DM employs end use assessments, which highlight potential water savings and target inefficient end uses. Conservation opportunities exist within seasonal water consumption patterns, where peak demand sets the requirements for water supply infrastructure. Reductions to peak demand can defer necessary investments, and hence create considerable financial savings. However, understanding of urban water demand remains underdeveloped, particularly for the Non-Domestic (ND) sectors. In New Zealand, this knowledge is especially limited. This study investigated the distribution of ND water use between its component sectors, subsectors, and end uses. This information was used to establish the timing, magnitude, and sources of peak ND water use. ND users were classified based on a two-tiered system, and then water usage in each category investigated to identify conservation opportunities and seasonal consumption patterns. Significant Seasonal Users were surveyed to establish how and when they used water, and whether these uses were efficient. This investigation concluded that water demand was greatest in the Industrial sector, followed by the Commercial and Institutional (CI) sectors. Industrial water savings are possible through retrofitting of Process end uses, such as Rinses and Sanitation. The high price elasticity of Industrial water use also suggests increasing block rates would encourage large users to improve their water efficiency and reduce wastage. Water conservation in the CI sectors is achievable through Bathroom retrofits and education campaigns to improve public attitudes towards water. ND water use peaked in February and March. Irrigation and Cooling in the CI sectors drove increased demand in February. Significant water savings for these end uses are achievable by improving uptake of Drip Irrigation and Conductivity Controllers for cooling systems. Industrial production cycles drove peak demand from Process in March. Seasonal pricing structures would encourage Industrial users to shift unessential production to off-peak periods, and hence significantly reduce water demand in March.