Understanding Apartment End-Use Water Consumption in Two Green Residential Multistory Buildings
Publication: Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management
Volume 144, Issue 4
Abstract
The objective of this study was to gain a better understanding of the drivers of indoor water consumption in urban multistory residential buildings, to more accurately predict residential water demand, and to identify water saving opportunities. Water meters were installed at each end-use fixture in 15 apartments within two economically diverse green high-rise buildings. Infrared motion loggers recorded occupant presence. Interviews provided sociodemographic data and data about water consuming activities. The average apartment water consumption was in Building #1 and in Building #2. A principal component analysis determined that tenant presence in kitchen, kitchen faucet water consumption, cooking frequency, bathroom faucet water consumption, bathtub water consumption, percentage of tenants going to work/school, percentage of children, and percentage of seniors were major contributors to the variability in total per capita water consumption. A water end-use model taking these drivers into account demonstrated that preferences in bathtub and shower consumption exceeded the effects of dish washing and toilet leaks. When considered in relation to overall water consumption in the city, the tenant per capita water consumption in both buildings was similar.
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Data Availability Statement
Data generated by the authors or analyzed during the study are available at Jordán-Cuebas et al. (2017).
Acknowledgments
The authors thank the residents and managers of the anonymous case study buildings for their participation. This work was funded by the National Science Foundation (MUSES: Self-Sufficient Urban Buildings, Award No. 0725503).
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Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management
Volume 144 • Issue 4 • April 2018
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©2018 American Society of Civil Engineers.
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Received: Mar 11, 2017
Accepted: Sep 25, 2017
Published online: Feb 1, 2018
Published in print: Apr 1, 2018
Discussion open until: Jul 1, 2018
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