6 Water Demand Management Concept
Necessity of Sustainable Water Demand Management (SWDM) is immensely
higher in the rapidly urbanized mega-cities of India where groundwater depletion
and water deficit are taking place at an alarming rate. In 2014, closely 3.9 billion
people, or 54% of the global population lived in cities, and as mentioned above, by
2050, two-thirds of the global population will be living in cities, which will generate 55% additional water demand in the world (Arfanuzzaman and Rahman
2017). A common characteristic of water demand in urban areas worldwide is its
relentless rise over many years and projections of continuous growth over coming
decades. The chief influencing factors are population growth, together with changes
in lifestyle and consumption pattern, demographic structure and the possible effects
of climate change. Water demand management can be hard to define; more an issue
of policy than of technology, it is about managing and moderating our demands for
good quality freshwater. It is less a matter of piping and pumps and more a tool for
changing the ways we use water and the rates at which we use it. In practice, WDM
comes down to three key goals: economic efficiency, social equity and
sustainability.
1. Economic efficiency
There are many ways to improve the efficiency of water use, for example, by
reducing losses in the distribution system, by reducing the amount or the quality of
water needed to perform a task and by changing the timing of water use. Reducing
the amount of water used is an obvious benefit, but reducing the quality of water
used is almost as important. Lower quality, less costly water can safely be used for
many purposes, from irrigation to industrial uses. It may be water that has not been
treated to the point where it is potable water, or it may be reused water, like “grey
water”. Policies that encourage the use of lower quality water may require changing
the way a task is performed, and of course it is essential to ensure that there are no
negative effects on health or the environment. The timing of water use can also
affect efficiency. Irrigating crops at night instead of during the heat of the day
reduces losses from evaporation. Using water at off-peak times for other purposes
reduces strain on the water delivery system. Equally important, the system needs to
be able to cope with water shortages to have the ability to continue to supply the
basic needs of the population during times of drought or seasonal water shortages.
2. Social equity
Any strategy for the implementation of WDM must take into account the goal of
social equity and inclusion. A key element is the sensitive issue of water pricing,
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K. Singh and S. Mahanta
Necessity of Sustainable Water Demand Management (SWDM) is immensely
higher in the rapidly urbanized mega-cities of India where groundwater depletion
and water deficit are taking place at an alarming rate. In 2014, closely 3.9 billion
people, or 54% of the global population lived in cities, and as mentioned above, by
2050, two-thirds of the global population will be living in cities, which will generate 55% additional water demand in the world (Arfanuzzaman and Rahman
2017). A common characteristic of water demand in urban areas worldwide is its
relentless rise over many years and projections of continuous growth over coming
decades. The chief influencing factors are population growth, together with changes
in lifestyle and consumption pattern, demographic structure and the possible effects
of climate change. Water demand management can be hard to define; more an issue
of policy than of technology, it is about managing and moderating our demands for
good quality freshwater. It is less a matter of piping and pumps and more a tool for
changing the ways we use water and the rates at which we use it. In practice, WDM
comes down to three key goals: economic efficiency, social equity and
sustainability.
1. Economic efficiency
There are many ways to improve the efficiency of water use, for example, by
reducing losses in the distribution system, by reducing the amount or the quality of
water needed to perform a task and by changing the timing of water use. Reducing
the amount of water used is an obvious benefit, but reducing the quality of water
used is almost as important. Lower quality, less costly water can safely be used for
many purposes, from irrigation to industrial uses. It may be water that has not been
treated to the point where it is potable water, or it may be reused water, like “grey
water”. Policies that encourage the use of lower quality water may require changing
the way a task is performed, and of course it is essential to ensure that there are no
negative effects on health or the environment. The timing of water use can also
affect efficiency. Irrigating crops at night instead of during the heat of the day
reduces losses from evaporation. Using water at off-peak times for other purposes
reduces strain on the water delivery system. Equally important, the system needs to
be able to cope with water shortages to have the ability to continue to supply the
basic needs of the population during times of drought or seasonal water shortages.
2. Social equity
Any strategy for the implementation of WDM must take into account the goal of
social equity and inclusion. A key element is the sensitive issue of water pricing,
34
K. Singh and S. Mahanta