Household Demand for Water and Policies to Encourage Conservation

摘要

When a domestic water shortage occurs, the alternative usually investigated is increasing the supply, rather than decreasing the household demand. The authors studied two rural Indiana communities who were experiencing a water supply problem to determine the alternatives. People in general were not aware of available water saving devices for the home, and felt that water intensive appliances, such as dishwashers, automatic washing machines, etc., should be included in their present standard of living. The authors estimated that in a community of 600-1000 population, decreasing the demand for water by employing water saving kits would decrease the pumpage for the community by about 7.4 million gallons per year. The saving in water bills per household would range from $40-$60 annually or approximately $22,000 for the community. Other means of controlling demand considered are taxation, regulation, and pricing.