Revealing the impact of socio-demographic factors and efficient devices on end use water consumption: case of Gold Coast, Australia

Abstract

Comprehension of the differences in water consumption within communities and the actual water savings attributed to engineered efficient devices requires high accuracy data generally of the end use water consumption form. Provided is an outline of a component of the Gold Coast Watersaver End Use Study, which focussed on the relationship between a range of socio-demographic and household stock survey variables and water end use consumption levels. A mixed methods approach was executed. The study provided evidence as to the potential savings derived from efficient appliances as well as socio-demographic clusters having higher water consumption across end uses. The payback period for some water efficient devices was also explored. The study has implications for urban water demand management planning and forecasting.