End use water consumption in households: impact of socio-demographic factors and efficient devices

TL;DR: In this paper, the relationship between a range of socio-demographic and household stock efficiency variables and water end-use consumption levels was investigated using a mixed methods approach using qualitative and quantitative data.

About: This article is published in Journal of Cleaner Production.The article was published on 2013-12-01 and is currently open access. It has received 278 citations till now. The article focuses on the topics: Water efficiency & Water conservation.

Summary

1.1 Improving urban water security 56

• The strong emphasis on ensuring a secure water supply for the population of Australia 57 has been brought to light by the increasing frequency, severity and duration of drought events 58 throughout the nation.
• It is well established that there is a requirement for specific country and 82 location based research due to a range of reasons, including: (1) different community 83 attitudes and behaviours; (2) water appliance stock efficiency profiles; (3) environmental 84 conditions; and (4) water pricing structures; (5) government water restriction regime; and (6) 85 conservation message intensity.
• The development of smart metering technologies and 89 end use analysis techniques allowed for the acquisition of such data in this study.

1.3 Advent of smart water metering, monitoring and management 92

• The measurement, benchmarking and management of a process, product, project or 93 system is an expected requirement in almost all industry sectors in the modern age (Stewart 94 and Spencer, 2006; Stewart et al., 2009; Panuwatwanich et al., 2010).
• The combined influence of introducing water efficient showerheads, clothes washers 446 and installing RWTs was modelled to estimate total potential household savings by 447 retrofitting/installing to higher efficiency appliances/fixtures.
• Gold Coast 649 domestic water end use study.

Figures

Fig. 2. Average daily per capita consumption (L/p/d): combined sample (n=151)

Table 1 Comparison between national end use water consumption studies (Willis et al., 2009)

Table 2 Showerhead efficiency cluster comparisons

Table 4 Rainwater tank cluster comparison

Table 3 Clothes washer efficiency cluster comparisons

Fig. 5. Impact of gross household weekly income on total per capita water consumption

Fig. 1. Schematic illustrating water end use analysis process

Fig. 6. Relationship between household resident makeup typologies and water end use consumption

Frequently asked questions

Q1. How much water savings could a low efficiency showerhead potentially deliver?

The use of RWTs could potentially deliver an annual water consumption saving of 479 A$21 in 2009 increasing to A$115 in 2033 equating to a A$11451 cumulative saving per 480 household over this 25 year period. 

Q2. How many water supply reservoirs have been lost in South-East Queensland?

coupled with growing populations has lead to numerous 59 instances of many water supply reservoirs in South-East Queensland (SEQ) dropping below 60 20% over the last decade. 

Q3. What was the main process used to analyse the consumption of household appliances?

Trace 205 Wizard© software was used in conjunction with the stock appliance audits to analyse and 206 disaggregate consumption into a number of end uses including toilets, irrigation, shower, 207 clothes washer and taps (faucets). 

Q4. What was the only necessary equipment modification to undertake the end use disaggregation process?

Readers should note that only the replacement of the 208 existing water meter with a high resolution smart meter and data logger at the front of the 209 property was the only necessary equipment modifications in order to undertake the end use 210 disaggregation process. 

Q5. How much water savings can a low to high efficiency showerhead deliver?

Based on the 2008/2009 financial year water 460 billing price (i.e. A$(AUD) 1.87/kL) the retrofitting of a low to high efficiency showerhead 461 can potentially deliver a 2009 annual water consumption monetary saving of A$69 increasing 462 to A$136 by 2018, for Gold Coast City residential households. 

Q6. What is the water efficiency of showerheads in the Gold Coast?

It is well established that the 348 installation of high efficiency, low flow showerheads can save considerable volumes of water 349(Mayer et al., 2004). 

Q7. How much water can a clothes washer save?

Table 3 demonstrates that replacing a low efficiency clothes washer with a high 397 efficiency model can save a staggering 14 kilolitres per person per annum (kL/p/a). 

Q8. How many regions were selected to ensure that the combined water end use sample was representative?

265 266 3.1.1 Socio-economic region of households 267 Several regions in differing areas of the Gold Coast were selected to ensure that the 268 combined water end use sample was representative. 

Q9. What are the main reasons for the requirement for specific country and location based research?

Although prior research in these 81 areas has occurred, it is well established that there is a requirement for specific country and 82 location based research due to a range of reasons, including: (1) different community 83 attitudes and behaviours; (2) water appliance stock efficiency profiles; (3) environmental 84 conditions; and (4) water pricing structures; (5) government water restriction regime; and (6) 85 conservation message intensity. 

Q10. What is the role of smart meters in water management?

Smart metering and management systems are essential 100 enablers to the better measurement and management of valuable urban water supplies and the 101 distribution systems that deliver this potable water to the household (Stewart et al. 2010). 

Q11. What is the way to display information about the payback period associated with upgrading appliances?

458 Information about the payback period associated with upgrading appliances is another way of 459 displaying information to encourage uptake.