Water demand management and 'fit for purpose' water consumption has changed the current focus to demand, rather than supply side measures, to meet the ever increasing requirement on diminishing water resources. Water demand management strategies such as water metering, water restrictions, rebate programs for water efficient devices, water efficiency labelling, water conservation education programs, and the application of recycled, grey and stormwater for specified end uses have been introduced throughout Australia and the world.
Governments and public utilities are investing significant funds in the development and implementation of water demand management programs to encourage local communities to adapt and achieve sufficient water savings. Predicted water savings from such programs are calculated through a variety of assumptions, but little thought is given to determining the actual water savings associated with these strategies as well as their acceptance by communities.
Residential water end use measurement is concerned with understanding where, when and how water is used in the home. End use studies seek to determine information about the technological and behavioural aspects of household water use to determine how much of the total water consumed by a household can be attributed to individual end uses. Improved understanding of end uses of water can help to build a picture of how, when and why water is used in homes, thereby offering significant opportunities for providers to improve water service delivery and long term planning.
This undertaking is the foremost residential end use project in the State of Queensland. This study has a sample of 200 smart metered households across the Gold Coast and includes a social science investigation on behaviours, attitudes, perceptions of water and water use in the residential household settings.
Results of this study pertaining to the dual reticulated end use study will be a world first and inform international urban water policy and planning. The teams' expertise is pertinent to achieving an accurate, timely and comprehensive research study in this emerging area.