scholarly journals Barriers and opportunities for behavior change in managing high water demand in water scarce Indigenous communities: an Australian perspective

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 765-773
Author(s):  
Safaa Aldirawi ◽  
Regina Souter ◽  
Cara D. Beal
Keyword(s):  
Behavior Change ◽  
Water Use ◽  
Water Consumption ◽  
Water Conservation ◽  
Water Demand ◽  
Indigenous Communities ◽  
High Water ◽  
Indigenous Community ◽  
Water Users ◽  
Household Water

Abstract Managing water demand by reducing water consumption and improving water use efficiency has become essential for ensuring water security. This research aimed to identify the primary determinants of household water consumption in an Australian Indigenous community to develop evidence-based water demand management policies and strategies that might be implemented by the water service provider. A behavior change framework was applied to investigate the opportunity, ability, and motivational determinants affecting household water consumption and conservation in an Australian Indigenous community. The lack of water conservation knowledge and skills of high water users could be barriers to saving water. Low water users have positive attitudes towards water conservation and a higher level of awareness about their own water use. While there is a lack of a belief that water shortages will occur, low water users do have concerns of vulnerability to droughts, and that could be a driver for their sense of obligation to engage in water conservation practices. The research recommended communication messages and tools to address identified barriers to enabling positive changes to water use behaviors, which have wider applications in remote Australian Indigenous communities.

scholarly journals Household water use and conservation models using Monte Carlo techniques

2013 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 4869-4900 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Cahill ◽  
J. R. Lund ◽  
B. DeOreo ◽  
J. Medellín-Azuara
Keyword(s):  
Monte Carlo ◽  
Water Use ◽  
Water Conservation ◽  
Water Demand ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Mixed Integer ◽  
Residential Neighborhood ◽  
Household Water ◽  
End Use ◽  
Conservation Model

Abstract. The increased availability of water end use measurement studies allows for more mechanistic and detailed approaches to estimating household water demand and conservation potential. This study uses, probability distributions for parameters affecting water use estimated from end use studies and randomly sampled in Monte Carlo iterations to simulate water use in a single-family residential neighborhood. This model represents existing conditions and is calibrated to metered data. A two-stage mixed integer optimization model is then developed to estimate the least-cost combination of long- and short-term conservation actions for each household. This least-cost conservation model provides an estimate of the upper bound of reasonable conservation potential for varying pricing and rebate conditions. The models were adapted from previous work in Jordan and are applied to a neighborhood in San Ramon, California in eastern San Francisco Bay Area. The existing conditions model produces seasonal use results very close to the metered data. The least-cost conservation model suggests clothes washer rebates are among most cost-effective rebate programs for indoor uses. Retrofit of faucets and toilets is also cost effective and holds the highest potential for water savings from indoor uses. This mechanistic modeling approach can improve understanding of water demand and estimate cost-effectiveness of water conservation programs.

How Trust and Risk Perception Affect Household Water Use

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raymond Yu Wang ◽  
Xiaofeng Liu
Keyword(s):  
Risk Perception ◽  
Water Use ◽  
Water Consumption ◽  
Water Conservation ◽  
Tap Water ◽  
Demand Management ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Social Groups ◽  
Recycled Water ◽  
Household Water

Household water use accounts for an important portion of water consumption. Notably, different households may behave differently regarding how water is used in everyday life. Trust and risk perception are two significant psychological factors that influence water use behavior in households. Since trust and risk perception are malleable and subject to construction, they are useful for developing effective demand management strategies and water conservation policies. The concepts of trust and risk perception are multidimensional and interconnected. Risk perception varies across social groups and is often shaped by subjective feelings toward a variety of activities, events, and technologies. Risk perception is also mediated by trust, which involves a positive expectation of an individual, an organization, and/or an institution that derives from complex processes, characteristics, and competence. Likewise, different social groups’ trust in various entities involved in household water use is subject to the significant and far-reaching impact of risk perception. The complexity of the two notions poses challenges to the measurement and exploration of their effects on household water use. In many cases, risk perception and trust can influence people’s acceptance of water sources (e.g., tap water, bottled water, recycled water, and desalinated water) and their conservation behavior (e.g., installing water-saving technologies and reducing water consumption) in household water use. Trust can affect household water use indirectly through its influence on risk perception. Moreover, trust and risk perception in household water use are neither given nor fixed; rather, they are dynamically determined by external, internal, and informational factors. A coherent, stable, transparent, and fair social and institutional structure is conducive to building trust. However, trust and risk perception differ among groups with diverse household and/or individual demographic, economic, social, and cultural characteristics. Direct information from personal experiences and, more importantly, indirect information from one’s social network, as well as from mass media and social media, play an increasingly important role in the formation and evolution of trust and risk perception, bringing a profound impact on household water use in an era of information. Future directions lie in new dynamics of risk perception and trust in the era of information explosion, the coevolution mechanism of risk perception and trust in household water use, the nuanced impacts of different types of risks (e.g., controllable and uncontrollable) on household water use, and the interactive relations of risk perception and trust across geographical contexts.

scholarly journals Advances in the Economic Analysis of Residential Water Use: An Introduction

Water ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 1162 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arnaud Reynaud ◽  
Giulia Romano
Keyword(s):  
Water Use ◽  
Water Conservation ◽  
Water Demand ◽  
Water Price ◽  
Special Issue ◽  
Residential Water Demand ◽  
Residential Water Use ◽  
Household Water ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Residential Water

The aim of this Special Issue is to gather evidence on the impact of price policies (PP) and non-price policies (NPP) in shaping residential water use in a context of increased water scarcity. Indeed, a large body of the empirical economic literature on residential water demand has been devoted to measuring the impact of PP (water price increases, use of block rate pricing or peak pricing, etc.). The consensus is that the residential water demand is inelastic with respect to water price, but not perfectly. Given the low water price elasticity, pricing schemes may not always be effective tools for modifying household water behaviors. This is puzzling since increasing the water price is still viewed by public authorities as the most direct economic tool for inducing water conservation behaviors. Additional evidence regarding the use of PP in shaping residential water use is then required. More recently, it has been argued that residential consumers may react to NPP, such as water conservation programs, education campaigns, or smart metering. NPP are based on the idea that residential water users can implement strategies that will result in water savings via changing their individual behaviors. Feedback information based on smart water metering is an example of approach used by some water utilities. There are still large gaps in the knowledge on the residential water demand, and in particular on the impact of PP and NPP on residential water use, household water affordability and water service performance. These topics are addressed in this Special Issue “Advances in the Economic Analysis of Residential Water Use”.

scholarly journals What roles do smart sensors play in citizens' water use? From the perspective of household water-saving

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kang Tian ◽  
Zhuo Chen
Keyword(s):  
Water Use ◽  
Water Consumption ◽  
Water Conservation ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Water Saving ◽  
Smart Sensors ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Behavioural Intervention ◽  
Household Water ◽  
The Impact

Abstract The rapid population growth has led to increasing demand for water resources. Studies have shown that the application of new technologies can effectively influence and promote citizens to save water. The application of smart water sensors can effectively monitor household water consumption and feedback the recorded data to citizens promptly, thereby influencing family members' water-saving attitudes and behaviours. For the widespread use of future water sensors in households, it can demonstrate its essential role in three aspects: water use information feedback to reduce water consumption, water information measurement helps to cultivate water conservation awareness, and water use information release as an effective means of behavioural intervention. This research provides some suggestions for the promotion and use of smart sensors in the home and points out the future research directions for the impact of water sensing on household water-saving behaviour.

scholarly journals Assessment of Water Usage and Water Management in Mae Fah Luang University

2017 ◽  
pp. 41-47
Author(s):  
Yanasinee Suma ◽  
Nittaya Pasukphun ◽  
Anuttara Hongthong ◽  
Vivat Keawdounglek
Keyword(s):  
Water Use ◽  
Water Consumption ◽  
Water Conservation ◽  
Good Practice ◽  
High Water ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
Water Usage ◽  
Residential Areas ◽  
Type Water ◽  
Use Behavior

A university may be compared by its size of population and activities to a small city, with high water consumption and in need of effective water conservation strategies. This study presents the results of a study of water consumption on the Mae Fah Luang University campus in Chiang Rai, Thailand. Consumption was classified by activity type, water usage and water saving behavior of students and staff. The results suggest strategies for water conservation on campus. With a water conservation plan focusing on residential areas (halls and homes), which accounted for the highest levels of consumption on the campus. The study also identified activities where water-use behavior was wasteful; hence, we propose practical strategies to reduce the university’s water use by a) raising awareness of the costs of wasting water; b) education to improve knowledge, attitude, and behavior in regard to water conservation, with examples of good practice.

scholarly journals Household water use and conservation models using Monte Carlo techniques

2013 ◽  
Vol 17 (10) ◽  
pp. 3957-3967 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Cahill ◽  
J. R. Lund ◽  
B. DeOreo ◽  
J. Medellín-Azuara
Keyword(s):  
Monte Carlo ◽  
Water Use ◽  
Water Conservation ◽  
Water Demand ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Mechanistic Modeling ◽  
Mixed Integer ◽  
Residential Neighborhood ◽  
Household Water ◽  
Conservation Model

Abstract. The increased availability of end use measurement studies allows for mechanistic and detailed approaches to estimating household water demand and conservation potential. This study simulates water use in a single-family residential neighborhood using end-water-use parameter probability distributions generated from Monte Carlo sampling. This model represents existing water use conditions in 2010 and is calibrated to 2006–2011 metered data. A two-stage mixed integer optimization model is then developed to estimate the least-cost combination of long- and short-term conservation actions for each household. This least-cost conservation model provides an estimate of the upper bound of reasonable conservation potential for varying pricing and rebate conditions. The models were adapted from previous work in Jordan and are applied to a neighborhood in San Ramon, California in the eastern San Francisco Bay Area. The existing conditions model produces seasonal use results very close to the metered data. The least-cost conservation model suggests clothes washer rebates are among most cost-effective rebate programs for indoor uses. Retrofit of faucets and toilets is also cost-effective and holds the highest potential for water savings from indoor uses. This mechanistic modeling approach can improve understanding of water demand and estimate cost-effectiveness of water conservation programs.

Patterns and controlling factors of residential water use in Los Angeles, California

Water Policy ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 16 (6) ◽  
pp. 1054-1069 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Mini ◽  
T. S. Hogue ◽  
S. Pincetl
Keyword(s):  
Los Angeles ◽  
Water Use ◽  
High Water ◽  
Water Pricing ◽  
Controlling Factors ◽  
Water Users ◽  
Residential Water Use ◽  
Tier 1 ◽  
Household Water ◽  
Residential Water

The current study evaluates residential water use patterns and driving factors across Los Angeles, California. Ten years of monthly residential water data were obtained from the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. Socio-economic, vegetation characteristics, climate, and water pricing data were utilized to develop a statistical model to determine controlling factors of single-family residential water use. Key drivers were found to be household income, landscape greenness, water pricing, household volume allocation, precipitation and temperature. Results show that low water users are less sensitive to climate variability than high water users, likely because these customers have reduced outdoor water use. In the lower income group, average household size is a predictor for household water consumption, which increases with more residents. Lower water users are also more sensitive to changes in their first level household water allocation (Tier 1). However, low, medium and high water users all respond more to changes in the Tier 1 rate than the Tier 2 rate, and generally reduce consumption if this block rate is increased.

Household water use: a Portuguese field study

2007 ◽  
Vol 7 (5-6) ◽  
pp. 193-202 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Vieira ◽  
M. do C. Almeida ◽  
J.M. Baptista ◽  
R. Ribeiro
Keyword(s):  
Field Study ◽  
Water Use ◽  
Water Consumption ◽  
Water Conservation ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Domestic Water ◽  
Household Water ◽  
Main Components ◽  
Definition Of

Household water use structure can vary significantly depending on several factors like personal habits, socio-economic, cultural and climatic conditions. In the absence of Portuguese data on domestic water consumption, a field study was carried out in order to obtain information that could help support the definition of water conservation measures within the scope of the Portuguese National Program for the Efficient Use of Water. The paper describes the methodology and results obtained in this study, which involved approximately 100 participants that made a characterization of their appliances and detailed recordings of all water uses. Results allowed for the determination of average values of usage duration and frequency for each appliance, total volume consumed per water appliance and per capita water consumption. In terms of consumption structure, it was found that showering and bathing were the main components (36±13%) followed by taps (29±10%) and toilet flushing (21±7%).

Influencing attitudes and changing consumers' household water consumption behaviour

2008 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 325-330 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. W. Cary
Keyword(s):  
Water Consumption ◽  
Water Conservation ◽  
Major Element ◽  
Demand Management ◽  
Water Shortage ◽  
Water Delivery ◽  
Water Users ◽  
Household Water ◽  
Behaviour Models ◽  
Changing Attitudes

Programs for demand management have become critical following extended water shortage in Australia. Changing attitudes is a major element of water conservation programs. Information and education are likely to be necessary but not sufficient components of any program for behaviour change. A combination of factors is needed to promote water saving behaviour. Changing the behaviours of less responsive water users requires a better understanding of what shapes water conservation behaviours. Programs and conservation behaviour models need to take account of both ‘internal’ influences, such as attitudes and habits, and ‘external’ influences, such as the water delivery environment, pricing and social norms for water use.

scholarly journals Drought response impacts on household water use practices in Cape Town, South Africa

Water Policy ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 483-500 ◽  
Author(s):  
Phikolomzi Matikinca ◽  
Gina Ziervogel ◽  
Johan P. Enqvist
Keyword(s):  
Water Use ◽  
Water Conservation ◽  
Water Demand ◽  
Demand Management ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Cape Town ◽  
Qualitative Understanding ◽  
Household Water ◽  
Depth Interviews ◽  
Water Use Practices

Abstract Cape Town recently endured a record-breaking drought which nearly ended in disaster for the city's water supply. Municipal authorities introduced several measures to curb water demand using both monetary and other incentives, but little is known about how effective these measures were at encouraging people to save water. Previous literature shows no consensus as to which types of measures are most effective for managing residential water demand. Using information obtained through semi-structured, in-depth interviews with 20 individuals living in houses where they paid their water bills, this study provides insights on how respondents interpreted and responded to these mechanisms. Results show that price mechanisms were considered to be ineffective and did not encourage people to save water in their households. Non-price mechanisms were seen as having more impact on respondents, encouraging water conservation behaviour; especially when it comes to household indoor water use activities related to hygiene. While previous studies primarily provide quantitative data to measure the effectiveness of water demand management strategies, this paper adds a qualitative understanding of how and why households' water use practices change in response to these measures.

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