Following 11 factors affecting the rate of water demand:
- Size of city
- Climatic condition
- Due to Habits
- Industrial and commercial activity
- Quality of water supply
- The pressure in distribution systems
- Development of sewage facility
- System of supply
- Cost of water
- Policy of metering
- Living Standards
1. Size of city
Large cities mean they have large populations with lots of amenities. So, large cities require more water as compared to small cities.
2. Climatic condition
People living in hot climates need more water than those living in cold climates. This is because a hot climate makes people thirsty more than a cold climate. Not only this reason but also require more water for gardening, street plant watering, park. Also, the duration and frequency of human bathing is greater than in cold weather.
3. Due to Habits
Some bad habits can increase the rate of water demand like – Leaving water taps open, not fixing leakage of water, washing things repeatedly for no reason, watering plants unnecessarily, etc. But, opposite habits of the above points can decrease the rate of water demand.
4. Industrial and commercial activity
The presence of industry in an area means that the demand for water will be high. In industry, they need water to cool their engines, wash their products, and so on.
5. Quality of water supply
If the quality of water is good, the demand for water will be high as compared to low-quality water.
6. The pressure in distribution systems
The high pressure in distribution systems increases the rate of water demand. On the other hand, low pressure in distribution systems decreases the rate of water demand.
7. Development of sewage facility
The presence of sewage or sanitary systems increases the rate of water demands and vice-versa. In this case, more water is required to use Bathtub, Shower, Bidet, etc.
8. System of supply
If water comes to the consumers for 24 hours, then the use of water will increase, hence, the rate of water demand will be high. On the other hand, if water is served only for a fixed time, it may be once or twice a day, then the use of water will reduce, hence, the rate of water demand will be low.
9. Cost of water
Water price is also an important factor that affects the rate of water demand. If the cost is increased, the water demand will decrease and vice versa. If the price of water is high, the wastage of water will be less because consumers will try to reduce unwanted usage of water so that they have to pay less money.
10. Policy of metering
The policy of metering also affects the rate of water demand. Installing meters in consumer houses decreases the rate of water demand, On the other hand, if there is no meter, the demand for water increases. But, sometimes, some policies are imposed on the consumers, like – the price of per liter water will be the same for all consumers for a certain limit(take an example: 20 liters per day per head), but after crossing their daily limit (if the consumer uses more than 20 liters), the price of per litter water will be more. This type of policy helps to decrease the rate of water demand.
11. Living Standards
The rate of water demand also depends on the consumer’s economic status. Rich consumers use more water as they do not think about the cost of the water. Rich families also use more home appliances( like – Washing Machine, Sprayer, Dishwasher, Car Washer, etc.) that may require more water. Meanwhile, middle-class and poor consumers use less water as they use fewer appliances and cost is another factor for them.
Water Quantity Estimation for a City
Let’s assume a city ‘A’, the population of this city is 200k. Before designing the water supply scheme, we need to calculate the estimated water consumption.
Here, two things are needed: one is per capita demand in liters per day per head. Another is the population of the location where water is to be served.
Quantity of water = Per capita demand * population
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