Water supply managers often look for easily applied metrics to determine where water use can be curtailed. Unfortunately, the one-size-fits-all mentality comes with a price of failing to fully grasp the consequences decision-making based on such metrics. One issue that water supply regulator like to use is per capita water use. Per capital water use is often used to show where there is “wasted” water use, such as excessive irrigation. However such a metric may not be truly applicable depending on other economic factors. A heavily industrial area may add to apparent per capital use, but actually is an economic development activity. The focus of this project is to look at various water utilities and their per capital usage with the intent of discerning whether or not a better metric could be developed that consider the economic development activities of the region and water use. / Includes bibliography. / Thesis (M.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2015. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

Service delivery in post-apartheid South Africa has become a topical issue both in the academia and the political arena . The rise of social movements, the xenophobic tensions of May 2008 and protest actions could be noted as the major traits of post-apartheid South Africa. Though there are divergent views on the underlying causes of these protests, lack of service delivery has most significantly been at the centre stage. In this thesis we investigate the relationship between household/population changes and the demand for piped-water connection in South Africa. There is an ample, albeit at times of questionable accuracy, supply of statistics from official and other sources. These statistics are both the source of inspiration of particular societal measures to be investigated and a gauge of the accuracy of the mathematical/statistical modelling which is the central feature of this project. We construct mathematical/statistical models which take into account demographic constituents of the problem using differential equations for modelling household dynamics and we also investigate the interaction of demographic parameters and the demand for piped-water connection using multivariate statistical techniques. The results show that with a boost in delivery the rich provinces seem to be in better standing of meeting targets and that the increasing demand in household-based services could be most significantly attributed to the fragmentation of households against other demographic processes like natural increase in population and net migration. The results imply that in as much as service delivery policies and programmes should focus on formerly disadvantaged poor communities, adequate provisions for increasing service demands in urban centres should also be a priority in view of the increasing in-migration from rural areas as households fragment. Most of the findings/results are in tabular and graphical forms for easy understanding of the reader. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville, 2010.

Thesis (MEng)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The outdoor water consumption of residential properties is a major contributor to the seasonal fluctuation of the overall water consumption of these properties. The estimation of the relating outdoor water demand has become valuable to property developers and planners alike. This could enable designers to optimise designs of water distribution networks and assist in water resource planning and gaining legislative approvals. For the purposes of this study the outdoor water-use components were mathematically defined and combined to develop an outdoor water-demand model. In order to evaluate the results of an outdoor water demand model on a monthly temporal scale it was necessary to develop a proxy outdoor water consumption evaluation method based on the metered monthly consumption of residential properties. The method entailed verifying that the generally non-seasonal indoor water consumption as a function of the winter water consumption. This entailed analysis of the total monthly, indoor and outdoor water consumption data adopted from a noteworthy North American water end-use project. The indoor water consumption estimated in this manner could then be subtracted from the overall monthly water consumption to obtain estimated monthly outdoor water consumption data. The estimated outdoor consumption could be compared with the simulated outdoor water demand, as described by the model. The parameters that formed part of the mathematical outdoor water demand model were formulated from data available for residential estates, where conditions such as types of vegetation, irrigated area and size of pool could be prescribed in a constitution, usually instituted by a home owners association. The data was derived from one estate located in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. The mathematical model was simulated using the Monte Carlo method and the @Risk software. Three residential estates located in South Africa were subsequently modelled. Additionally, the model was employed to estimate outdoor water demand for houses located in Northern America for verification purposes. The Monte Carlo simulations of the outdoor water demand model presented in this study yielded realistic results when compared with the proxy outdoor consumption figures as well as the metered actual outdoor water consumption data analysed. The peak monthly outdoor water demand estimation results were particularly close to the consumption data. This study serves as a baseline for further research into outdoor water demand. Research into the effects of water restriction and conservation potential could follow from this work, especially in today’s environmentally conscious society. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die buite waterverbruik van residensiëel eiendomme dra grootliks by tot die seisoenale fluktuasie van die algehele water verbruik van hierdie eiendomme. Die beraming van die dienooreenkomstige buite wateraanvraag kan waarde toevoeg vir eiendomsontwikkelaars and beplanners, indien dit ontwerpers kan instaat stel om water verspreindingsnetwerke te optimeer en te help met water hulpbron beplanning en wetlikke goedkeurings. Vir die doeleindes van hierdie studie is die buite waterverbruik komponente wiskundig gedefinieër en gekombineer om ‘n buite wateraanvraag model te ontwikkel. Ten einde die resultate van ‘n buite water aanvraag model op ‘n maandelikse tydskaal te evalueer, was dit nodig om ‘n benaderingsmetode te ontwikkel, gebaseer of die gemeterde maandelikse water verbruike gebruik. Die metode behels dat die data, verkry van ‘n bekende Noord-Amerikaanse water eindverbruikprojek, van die algmeen nie-seisoenale binneshuise water verbruik vergelyk word met die maandelikse winter water verbruik. Derhalwe kon die binneshuise waterverbruik wat op hierdie manier beraam is afgetrek word van die algehel maandelikse waterverbruik om die maandelikse buitewater verbruik te beraam. Die beraamde buitewater verbruik kon sodoende vergelyk kan word met ‘n gesimuleerde buite wateraanvraag soos beskryf deur die gesimuleerde model. Die parameters wat deel uitgemaak het van die wiskundige buite waterverbuik model was gedefinieër uit data wat beskikbaar was vir residensiële ontwikkelings, waar voorwaardes soos plantegroei, besproeiingsarea of swembad grote dikwels voorgeskryf kan word in ‘n grondwet ingestel deur ‘n huiseienaarsvereniging. Die data wat in hierdie model gebuik word is hoofsaaklik afskomstig van ‘n landgoed geleë in die Weskaap provinsie, Suid-Afrika. Die wiskundige model was gesimuleer met behulp van die Monte Carlo metode en die @Risk sagteware. Drie residensiële landgoede geleë in Suid-Afrika was daaropvolgend gemodelleer. Daarbenewens is die model gebruik die buite watergebruik van groepe huise geleë in Noord-Amerika te beraam vir verifikasie doeleindes. Die Monte Carlo simulasies van die buite water aanvraag model van hierdie studie het realistiese resultate in vergelyking met die beraamde buite verbruike sowel as die werklike gemeterde buite water verbruiksdata opgelewer. Die piek maandelikse buite water aanvraag beramings resultate was veral vergelykbaar met die piek maandeliks waterverbruik data. Hierdie studie dien as 'n basis vir verdere navorsing in buite waterverbruik. Navorsing gefokus op die gevolge van water beperkings en bewaring potensiaal kan as aanvullende voordele van hierdie studie ontstaan, veral in vandag se omgewingsbewuste samelewing.

Brasil, país das águas. Este é um pensamento que pode levar a uma despreocupação quanto à conservação da água. Sim, o Brasil possui grandes bacias hidrográficas, mas, por outro lado, possui também regiões que apresentam graves crises de abastecimento. A região amazônica, com apenas 5% da população brasileira, armazena 80% do volume de água de todo o território nacional, enquanto grande parte da população concentra-se nas grandes cidades, exigindo um volume de água cada vez maior. A medição individualizada em edifícios residenciais apresenta-se como um dos meios importantes para combater o desperdício, controlar e reduzir o consumo de água. Este trabalho procura mostrar a medição individualizada como um sistema justo que permite o controle e a redução de água. Numa primeira etapa, foram estudados três edifícios que sofreram reforma, passando do sistema com medição global para o sistema com medição individualizada. Através destes três estudos de casos, foi possível mostrar a distribuição dos apartamentos em classes de consumo, a redução percentual do consumo do edifício e a viabilidade econômica para a execução da reforma. A segunda etapa deste trabalho, compreendeu o acompanhamento da medição por telemetria, associada à medição individualizada, em um edifício residencial. A medição por telemetria permitiu o traçado do perfil de cada consumidor, individualmente, funcionando como uma ferramenta importante para o planejamento de ações que visem ao controle e a redução do consumo de água. / Brazil: a water country. This thought could take the people to forget about water conservation. Although Brazil has big watersheds, it also has regions that present serious water supply crisis. The amazon region, with only 5% of brazilian population, stores 80% of water volume of all national territory, while greater part of the population is concentrated in the big cities, needing, at times, a higher volume of water. The individual measurement in residential buildings is one of the most important ways to prevent water lavishness, also to control and to reduce the water consumption. This work tries to show the individual measurement of water as a fair system of price, which permits the control and the reduction on the water consumption. In the firs part, three buildings that had changed from global measurement system to individual measurement system were studied. By these cases, it was possible to show, in the buildings, the distribution of the apartments in classes of consumption, the percentage reduction and the economic feasibility to perform the modification in the measurement system. The second part of this work was to follow a telemetric measurement system in a residential building with individual water meters. The telemetric measurement allowed to know the profile of each consumer, individually, as an important way to plan actions to control and to reduce the water consumption.

Made available in DSpace on 2017-06-01T17:57:21Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Marcos Holanda_Diss.pdf: 1903157 bytes, checksum: 12aff14850e97e4c1b0c835c68b68342 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2007-04-25 / Brazil: a water country. This thought could take the people to forget about water conservation. Although Brazil has big watersheds, it also has regions that present serious water supply crisis. The amazon region, with only 5% of brazilian population, stores 80% of water volume of all national territory, while greater part of the population is concentrated in the big cities, needing, at times, a higher volume of water. The individual measurement in residential buildings is one of the most important ways to prevent water lavishness, also to control and to reduce the water consumption. This work tries to show the individual measurement of water as a fair system of price, which permits the control and the reduction on the water consumption. In the firs part, three buildings that had changed from global measurement system to individual measurement system were studied. By these cases, it was possible to show, in the buildings, the distribution of the apartments in classes of consumption, the percentage reduction and the economic feasibility to perform the modification in the measurement system. The second part of this work was to follow a telemetric measurement system in a residential building with individual water meters. The telemetric measurement allowed to know the profile of each consumer, individually, as an important way to plan actions to control and to reduce the water consumption. / Brasil, país das águas. Este é um pensamento que pode levar a uma despreocupação quanto à conservação da água. Sim, o Brasil possui grandes bacias hidrográficas, mas, por outro lado, possui também regiões que apresentam graves crises de abastecimento. A região amazônica, com apenas 5% da população brasileira, armazena 80% do volume de água de todo o território nacional, enquanto grande parte da população concentra-se nas grandes cidades, exigindo um volume de água cada vez maior. A medição individualizada em edifícios residenciais apresenta-se como um dos meios importantes para combater o desperdício, controlar e reduzir o consumo de água. Este trabalho procura mostrar a medição individualizada como um sistema justo que permite o controle e a redução de água. Numa primeira etapa, foram estudados três edifícios que sofreram reforma, passando do sistema com medição global para o sistema com medição individualizada. Através destes três estudos de casos, foi possível mostrar a distribuição dos apartamentos em classes de consumo, a redução percentual do consumo do edifício e a viabilidade econômica para a execução da reforma. A segunda etapa deste trabalho, compreendeu o acompanhamento da medição por telemetria, associada à medição individualizada, em um edifício residencial. A medição por telemetria permitiu o traçado do perfil de cada consumidor, individualmente, funcionando como uma ferramenta importante para o planejamento de ações que visem ao controle e a redução do consumo de água.

Thesis (MEng)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The focus of the study is to theoretically assess tank-water demand and employ methods to establish the actual tank-water demand at selected houses in a case study area. This study also examines the influence of domestic rainwater harvesting systems when used in combination with a municipal water distribution system. The case study comprises of 410 low cost housing units in the Western Cape. The system demand patterns of low cost housing units are uncharacteristic, when compared with suburban system demand patterns, and cannot be defined by traditional models. Similarly, the use of rainwater harvesting systems in these areas follows an unconventional routine that is yet to be defined. A stochastic end-use model for water demand is developed which produces temporal profiles for water supplied from both sources, namely the water distribution system and the rainwater harvesting system. The model approximates a daily system and tank-water demand pattern for a single domestic household, using @RISK software. The demand estimation methodology is clarified through application on a particular case study site where harvested rainwater is frequently utilized. Estimates of the parameter values are based on consumer surveys and previous studies on the case study area, where the household size was defined in the form of a probability distribution. The results confirm the atypical system demand patterns in low cost housing units units. Although two clear peaks exist in the morning and in the evening, a relatively constant average flow is present throughout the day. A sensitivity analysis of all the model parameters verified that the household size has the most substantial influence on the tank-water demand pattern. The system and tank-water demand patterns were compared to published average daily water demand guidelines, which confirmed that increased water savings could be achieved when the rainwater source is accessible inside the household with minimal effort. The stochastic demand profiles derived as part of this research agree with the metered system demand in the same area. The results of this study could be incorporated into the future development of national standards. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die fokus van die studie is om die tenkwater-aanvraag teoreties te ontleed en metodes in werking te stel om die werklike tenkwater-aanvraag vas te stel by geselekteerde huise in ‘n gevallestudie area. Hierdie studie ondersoek ook die invloed van plaaslike reënwater-herwinningstelsels wanneer dit gebruik word in kombinasie met ‘n munisipale waterverspreidingstelsel. Die gevallestudie bestaan uit 410 laekoste behuisingseenhede in die Wes-Kaap. Die stelsel-aanvraagpatrone van laekoste behuisingseenhede is verskillend wanneer dit met voorstedelike stelsel-aanvraagpatrone vergelyk word en kan nie gedefinieer word deur tradisionele modelle nie. Soortgelyk volg die gebruik van reënwater-herwinningstelsels in hierdie areas ‘n onkonvensionele roetine. ‘n Stogastiese eindgebruikmodel vir water-aanvraag is ontwikkel, wat tydelike profiele genereer vir water wat van beide bronne verskaf word, naamlik die waterverspreidingstelsel en die reënwater-herwinningstelsel. Die model bepaal by benadering ‘n daaglikse stelsel- en tenkwater-aanvraagpatroon vir ‘n enkele plaaslike huishouding, deur @RISK sagteware. Die aanvraag-beramingstegnieke word verduidelik deur toepassing op ‘n spesifieke gevallestudie, waar herwinde reënwater gereeld gebruik word. Die parameter waardeberamings is gebaseer op verbruikers-opnames en vorige studies oor die gevallestudie-gebied, waar die grootte van die huishoudings bepaal was in die vorm van 'n waarskynlikheidsverspreiding. Die resultate bevestig die atipiese stesel aanvraagpatrone in laekoste behuisingseenhede eenhede. Alhoewel twee duidelike pieke in die oggend en die aand voorkom, is ‘n relatiewe konstante vloei dwarsdeur die dag teenwoordig. ‘n Sensitiwiteitsanalise van al die modelparameters bevestig dat die grootte van die huishouding die grootste beduidende invloed op tenkwater- aanvraagpatrone het. Die stelsel- en tenkwater-aanvraagpatrone was vergelyk met gepubliseerde gemiddelde daaglikse water-aanvraag riglyne wat bevestig dat meer waterbesparings bereik kan word waar die reënwaterbron binne die huishouding beskikbaar is met minimale moeite. Die stogastiese aanvraagprofiele, wat as deel van hierdie navorsing afgelei was, stem saam met die gemeterde stelsel-aanvraagpatroon van dieselfde area. Die resultate van hierdie studie kan in die toekomstige ontwikkeling van nasionale standaarde opgeneem word.

Wong, Jefferson See. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2010. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 143-151). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / LIST OF FIGURES --- p.i / LIST OF TABLES --- p.iv / Chapter CHAPTER ONE --- INTRODUCTION --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1 --- Introduction --- p.1 / Chapter 1.2 --- Research Background --- p.1 / Chapter 1.3 --- Study Area --- p.8 / Chapter 1.3.1 --- Geographical setting --- p.8 / Chapter 1.3.2 --- Climate --- p.9 / Chapter 1.3.3 --- Water demand and supply in Hong Kong --- p.10 / Chapter 1.4 --- Objectives of the Study --- p.16 / Chapter 1.5 --- Significance of the Study --- p.16 / Chapter 1.6 --- Outline of Thesis --- p.17 / Chapter CHAPTER TWO --- LITERATURE REVIEW --- p.18 / Chapter 2.1 --- Introduction --- p.18 / Chapter 2.2 --- Concept of Urban Water Consumption / Water Use --- p.19 / Chapter 2.3 --- Urban Water Consumption Patterns --- p.19 / Chapter 2.4 --- Factors Influencing Urban Water Consumption --- p.22 / Chapter 2.5 --- Model Formulation of Urban Water Consumption --- p.29 / Chapter 2.6 --- Methods of Forecasting Urban Water Consumption --- p.37 / Chapter 2.7 --- Conclusion --- p.42 / Chapter CHAPTER THREE --- DATA AND METHODOLOGY --- p.44 / Chapter 3.1 --- Introduction --- p.44 / Chapter 3.2 --- Water Consumption and Climatic Data --- p.44 / Chapter 3.3 --- Modeling Framework and Procedure --- p.49 / Chapter 3.4 --- Base Water Use --- p.52 / Chapter 3.4.1 --- Long-term trend --- p.52 / Chapter 3.5 --- Seasonal Water Use --- p.53 / Chapter 3.5.1 --- Seasonal cycle --- p.54 / Chapter 3.5.2 --- Climatic effect --- p.58 / Chapter 3.6 --- Calendrical Water Use --- p.61 / Chapter 3.6.1 --- Day-of-the-week effect --- p.62 / Chapter 3.6.2 --- Holiday effect --- p.63 / Chapter 3.6.3 --- Persistence component --- p.64 / Chapter 3.7 --- Summary --- p.65 / Chapter CHAPTER FOUR --- RESULTS AND DISCUSSION --- p.67 / Chapter 4.1 --- Introduction --- p.67 / Chapter 4.2 --- Model Fitting and Parameterization --- p.68 / Chapter 4.3 --- Long-term Trend in Base Water Use --- p.69 / Chapter 4.4 --- Seasonal Water Use --- p.76 / Chapter 4.4.1 --- Seasonal cycle --- p.76 / Chapter 4.4.2 --- Climatic effect --- p.81 / Chapter 4.5 --- Calendrical Water Use --- p.86 / Chapter 4.5.1 --- Day-of-the-week effect --- p.86 / Chapter 4.5.2 --- Holiday effect --- p.90 / Chapter 4.5.3 --- Persistence component --- p.98 / Chapter 4.6 --- Evaluation of Model Performance --- p.112 / Chapter 4.7 --- Relative Contribution of Various Components of Water Consumption --- p.128 / Chapter CHAPTER FIVE --- CONCLUSION --- p.136 / Chapter 5.1 --- Introduction --- p.136 / Chapter 5.2 --- Summary of Findings --- p.137 / Chapter 5.3 --- Limitations of the Study --- p.141 / Chapter 5.4 --- Recommendations for Future Studies --- p.142 / REFERENCE LIST --- p.143