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F. Session 6: Water Demand Management

Moderator: Mr. Ignacio Armillas, Director, UNCHS (Habitat), Fukuoka Office
Rapporteur: Dr. Ryo Fujikura, Ritsumeikan University, Japan

Presenters:
(1) Mr. Saul Arlosoroff, Water Resources Management-Consultant, Israel
(2) Mr. Peter Thomas, HATI company for craft technology and innovation, Germany
(3) Mr. John Olaf Nelson, John Olaf Nelson Water Resources Management, USA
(4) Ms. Madeleen Wegelin-Schuringa, Programme Officer, IRC International Water and Sanitation Centre, The Netherlands

Four presentations were made regarding water demand management.

The first presentation addressed the social and economic characteristics of managing water resources. Water conservation is the cheapest and largest available source of water within cities. Appropriate water management should be seen as an integral element in all countries’ strategies for sustainable development. Although water management alone can not completely solve water resource problems in the long term, it can delay marginal expenditures by postponing expensive capital projects. Complete metering is a basic tool for demand side management, as is the introduction of progressive tariffs. Raising public awareness through ongoing education is also important.

The second presentation introduced an actual case study of water demand management in Germany. In the mid-1970s, older residential homes in Berlin had neither private bathrooms nor toilets, and water consumption was 50 to 70 litres per person a day. In the same period, the consumption in modernised houses amounted to 170 to 210 litres. The current target for water demand management is 70 litres per house. In order to attain this target, various sophisticated technologies have been introduced, including four-litre toilets and graywater purification plants. It was emphasised that co-ordination of central and decentralised approaches is needed, and that no single approach alone is enough to significantly reduce water consumption.

The third presentation presented the results of recent research on the residential use of water in the United States. Following a survey, data on flow rates passing through meters equipped at 100 homes were corrected and analysed. Average daily water use was measured at 1,548 litres a day, with the indoor component amounting to 655 litres. Water consumption by toilets and clothes washers amounted 70.0 and 56.8 litres a day, respectively, greater than that of other uses. For these two purposes, rainwater could be utilised. Reducing the amount of water used by toilets and eliminating leaks was found to be the most efficient approach to water conservation.

The last presentation addressed water demand management in low-income urban areas in developing countries. The urban poor often have access only to expensive water, and these people possess a high level of awareness about water conservation. The key issue is not reduction of consumption, but how to provide water to the vast majority of the urban population; this implies conservation by the more affluent sectors. A significant amount of water is also lost due to leakage. Motivation to reduce these losses is key. Education in schools is important, because educated children can teach their parents about appropriate water use.

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