Estimating Residential Outdoor Water Use with Smart Water Meter Data
Publication: World Environmental and Water Resources Congress 2024
ABSTRACT
Water demand management is crucial for ensuring the efficient use of water resources. Smart water meters have emerged as a valuable tool for managing water usage in residential areas. Smart water meter data analysis can provide valuable insights for informing water resource management strategies and policy decisions. Using hourly AMI data for water demand management provides more accurate and frequent estimates of water use compared to using billing data, which can lead to more effective and targeted policies for demand management. In this study, we used hourly demand data from smart water meters in 18,000 residential accounts in Lakewood, CA, over two years to estimate the volume and timing of outdoor water use. We used the minimum day method-network level (MDM-N), minimum day method-account level (MDM-A), and minimum hour method network level (MHM-N) to develop estimates of indoor water use, which we used to calculate outdoor water use patterns. Our findings indicate that, on average, outdoor water use ranges from 31% to 41% of total demand using the MDM-N, MDM-A, and MHMN. Our study highlights the potential of smart water meter data analysis as a valuable tool for water demand management. The ability to estimate and understand outdoor water use patterns can help policymakers develop more effective water demand policies and inform water resource management strategies to ensure the efficient use of water resources. Smart water meters and new modeling methods can help optimize water demand management strategies by providing a more accurate and detailed picture of outdoor water usage.
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Published In
World Environmental and Water Resources Congress 2024
Pages: 1304 - 1315
History
Published online: May 16, 2024
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