Defining domestic water consumption based on personal water use activities

As the world increasingly faces water shortages, it is critical to develop realistic estimates of water consumption based on water-use activities rather than top-down imposed limits. This study quantifies the absolute basic consumption (ABC) of an individual, irrespective of water-use location or wa...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Aqua (London, England) Vol. 70; no. 7; pp. 1002 - 1011
Main Authors: Crouch, Melissa Lauren, Heinz Erasmus Jacobs, Vanessa L. Speight
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Oxford IWA Publishing 01.11.2021
Subjects:
Consumption
Coronaviruses
Domestic water
drinking water
Efficiency
Health care
Households
Hygiene
Physiology
Sanitation
stochastic model
sustainable urban development
Water conservation
Water consumption
water demand
Water shortages
Water supply
Water use
water-use activities
United Kingdom > UK
India
ISSN:1606-9935, 2709-8028, 1605-3974, 2709-8036
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:As the world increasingly faces water shortages, it is critical to develop realistic estimates of water consumption based on water-use activities rather than top-down imposed limits. This study quantifies the absolute basic consumption (ABC) of an individual, irrespective of water-use location or water source, with a focus on personal water-use activities rather than measured household consumption. A theoretical model to stochastically describe 21 personal water-use activities was developed, corresponding to lifestyle levels based upon Maslow's hierarchy of physiological needs. From this model, the expected value of ABC was 92 L/capita/day (LPCD) and includes restrictions on several everyday activities and thus would be better as a minimum target during stringent water restrictions. A more realistic expected value for non-wasteful, indoor-only water use was determined to be 175 LPCD. The results of this study serve as a useful benchmark to inform policy choices and efforts to conserve water without affecting health and wellbeing.
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ISSN:1606-9935
2709-8028
1605-3974
2709-8036
DOI:10.2166/aqua.2021.056