Crouch, M.L., Jacobs, H.E. and Speight, V.L. orcid.org/0000-0001-7780-7863 (2021) Defining domestic water consumption based on personal water use activities. Journal of Water Supply Research and Technology—AQUA, 70 (7). pp. 1002-1011. ISSN 1605-3974
Abstract
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.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2021 The Authors. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Licence (CC BY 4.0), which permits copying, adaptation and redistribution, provided the original work is properly cited (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). |
Keywords: | drinking water; stochastic model; sustainable urban development; water consumption; water demand; water-use activities |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Sheffield |
Academic Units: | The University of Sheffield > Faculty of Engineering (Sheffield) > Department of Civil and Structural Engineering (Sheffield) |
Funding Information: | Funder Grant number Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council EP/N010124/1 ENGINEERING AND PHYSICAL SCIENCE RESEARCH COUNCIL EP/N010124/1 |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Sheffield |
Date Deposited: | 03 Sep 2021 14:05 |
Last Modified: | 10 Mar 2022 14:18 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | IWA Publishing |
Refereed: | Yes |
Identification Number: | 10.2166/aqua.2021.056 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:177808 |