Indoor water end-use pattern and its prospective determinants in the twin cities of Gujarat, India: enabling targeted urban water management strategies

Abstract

Water end-use studies disaggregate the quantity and frequency of water uses for various household purposes. Water end-use studies are available but none for India, which is gradually approaching a water-scarce condition from being a water-stressed country at present. This implies a need for incorporating water end-use understanding for augmenting urban recycling plans and strategies. To identify socio-demographic determinants of water end-use consumption for use in targeted urban water management, we focused on the indoor micro-components of bathing, dish-washing, laundering, and cleaning at households across the twin cities of Gujarat, a water-scarce province of India. A mixed-method approach was used for data collection in which questionnaire surveys (estimated or indirect measurements) were coupled with water meters (direct measurements) at households. The twin cities of Gujrat represent a spatial variation in greywater production at homes even at a distance of 30-40 km. Direct measurement showed less total average water consumption in Ahmedabad (83 L/HH/d) than Gandhinagar (105 L/HH/d), while indirect measurement showed indoor average consumption of 427 and 497 L/HH/d in the respective cities. Statistical significance of income, family size, and education was noticed on the water consumption pattern of a household. Besides, the study provides the attitude and practice of users towards water conservation behavior. We present new insights and recommendations for future urban water sustainability that are specific to India and applicable to several south-Asian countries.