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.

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 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.

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 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 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.

Social interaction in water demand management implementation

2005 ◽  
Vol 5 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 295-301
Author(s):  
J.S. Buckle
Keyword(s):  
Social Interaction ◽  
Water Use ◽  
Water Demand ◽  
Water Cycle ◽  
Demand Management ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Water Demand Management ◽  
Education Project ◽  
Broad Concept ◽  
Efficient Water Use

This article describes a successful awareness and education project undertaken in an East Rand township by the Water Cycle Management Section of Rand Water. The Project's focus was to create awareness in the community of the broad concept of water cycle management within an environment and to transfer skills to community members (facilitators) who could then assist in ensuring effective and efficient water use.

scholarly journals Using Water Footprint Approaches to Estimate Water Demand in the Lake Naivasha Basin, Kenya

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 30
Author(s):  
Tom Mongare Ndege
Keyword(s):  
Water Use ◽  
Water Demand ◽  
Water Footprint ◽  
Demand Elasticity ◽  
Lake Basin ◽  
Lake Naivasha ◽  
Water Abstraction ◽  
Household Water ◽  
Income Data ◽  
Water Volumes

The purpose of this paper is to estimate water demand for households in Lake Naivasha basin. This is important because water demand is increasingly significant to the policy of choice for achieving sustainable water management. Realization of sustainable water use is urgent in Lake |Naivasha water basin not only because of the unstable water volumes in the Lake which have wider wellbeing effects but also because of changing land use strategies that depend on higher water abstraction. Following Mokennen,et al., (2012) this study uses a water footprint approach to estimate the responsiveness of water use choices to changes in prices and income. Data is collected using questionnaires distributed to 418 residents in the lake basin. In this paper a double log water demand function is used to estimate household water demand. This approach has the advantage of providing paramters that are easily comparable with previous studies. The paper is, however, innovative in its application of estimated “total water abstraction” using water footprint approaches. An estimated water demand elasticity of 0.347 is only significant at p=0.01 suggesting a weak but significant impact of water cost on water abstraction choices. These results suggest the potential of applying price/fiscal instruments to enhance sustainable water abstraction within a water stress ecosystem.

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