Effect of Rainwater Harvesting on Residential Water Use: Empirical Case Study
Publication: Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management
Volume 147, Issue 4
Abstract
Rainwater harvesting (RWH) through household rainwater tanks has been increasingly recognized as a supplementary source of water in most urban cities. Previous studies indicated wide variations in annual water saving on residential water consumption. This study aimed to examine the factors causing these variations on the calculated savings of residential water use. The study involved the analysis of water consumption data collected by Yarra Valley Water (YVW) for 50 households with rainwater tanks and 50 without in Greater Melbourne, Australia. The results initially indicated an average annual saving of more than 4,600 L per year for an average household of 3.1 people; however, after considering seasonal variations, the estimated average potable water saving was more than 9,700 L per year. Further analysis revealed that properties without garden watering received more water saving than properties with garden watering (34,400–5,600 L per year, respectively). The results of this study are envisioned to lead to a better understanding of the effect of seasonal variations and local site conditions on the potential of RWH in integrated urban water management.
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Data Availability Statement
Some or all of the data, models, or code generated or used during the study are available in a repository or online in accordance with funder data retention policies. Rainfall data are available from the Bureau of Meteorology (2019). “Climate Data Online,” Australian Government Bureau of Meteorology, May 2019, <http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/data/>.
Some or all of the data, models, or code used during the study were provided by a third party. Direct requests for these materials may be made to the provider, as indicated in the Acknowledgments. Water use data were obtained from Yarra Valley Water. Requests to access these data can be made to Yarra Valley Water.
Acknowledgments
The authors thank Yarra Valley Water for allowing the use of their data in the creation of this paper. The authors are grateful for the ongoing support of the “Australian Government Research Training Program Scholarship.”
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Published In
Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management
Volume 147 • Issue 4 • April 2021
Copyright
© 2021 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Feb 17, 2020
Accepted: Oct 26, 2020
Published online: Feb 1, 2021
Published in print: Apr 1, 2021
Discussion open until: Jul 1, 2021
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