Demand-side management for supply-side efficiency: Modeling tailored strategies for reducing peak residential water demand

Increasingly, the water sector is exploring the value of applying demand management strategies to reduce peak water use through behavioural and technical solutions. Literature suggests that using behavioural interventions may be a useful approach in changing the daily peak demand patterns to reduce the pressure on network pumping energy costs during peak use times. There is a lack of studies, however, that have investigated the role of social based marketing or behavioural intervention studies on specifically reducing and shifting residential peak diurnal daily water end-use demand. This concept is modelled in this current study through the application of longitudinal experimental end-use data to predict how reduced demand through behaviour change can impact on overall peak residential demand. Notwithstanding the acknowledged limitations of the study, results illustrate a range of potential peak hour flow savings that can be realised from reducing total demand, or shifting the peak demand in households. The study provides preliminary evidence that water businesses can use demand-side strategies to also achieve efficiencies in the distribution of urban water (e.g. reduced energy for pumping in pressurised water system, pipe augmentation deferrals, peak energy demands).