Domestic water uses and new technologies: A case study in

World Water Congress XV International Water Resources Association (IWRA) Edinburgh (Scotland), 25-29 May 2015 Theme area: Management of water resources

Maria Vallès & David Saurí – Dept. of Geography - Autonomus University of Barcelona (UAB) Introduction

Recent evolution in domestic water consumption (liters/inhabitant/day), Catalonia and Barcelona 200

180

160 - 32%

140 126 liters/inhab./day 120 108 108 104

100 Exceptional Exceptional Exceptional Exceptional Exceptional Exceptional Emerg ency 80 Exceptional 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

Average Catalonia Average Barcelona city

2/12 The perfect storm

SOCIO-ECONOMIC FACTORS TECHNOLOGICAL FACTORS • 78,8% increase in the water bill • Implementation of water saving 2008-2014 devices and efficient water (based on a consumption of appliances 3 12 m /month) • SUBSTITUTION

DOMESTIC WATER CONSUMPTION

CLIMATE FACTORS POLITICAL AND CULTURAL FACTORS • Climate change impacts and effects • New legislation: WFD (2000), TBD (2006), local ordinances for water saving (since 2002) • New Water Culture

3/12 Local ordinances for water saving

55 MUNICIPALITIES AND > 1,3 MILION PEOPLE Substitution measures in the ordinances

Legend:

RW = Rainwater tank GW = Greywater system RSPW = Reused Swimming Pool Water

RW + GW + RSPW RW+ RSPW RW + GW r RW GW + RSPW NO SUBSTITUTION MEASURES

Metropolitan Area of Barcelona Metropolitan Region of Barcelona Catalan Internal Basins Catalan Interregional Basins

4/12 Objective & methodology

WHAT?

To explore the informal and non-centralised use of alternative water sources for different uses in Catalan households.

HOW?

Telephone survey of households in Catalonia stratified according to gender and area of residence (N=600). Conducted from 14 to 29 April 2015.

5/12 Study area Population of Catalonia in 2014 (7.512.982, N=600) (73.557, N=6) Comarques (741.724, Centrals (392.836, N=64) Ponent N=34) (365.273, N=32) Metropolitan Region of Barcelona Penedès (1.560.030, N=120) (470.252, Camp de N=42) Barcelona Tarragona (1.602.386, N=121) Terres (515.406, de l’Ere N=44) Metropolitan Area of Barcelona (185.294, (1.612.137, N=120) N=17)

6/12 Matrix of uses and alternative water sources

7/12 Results I

1. Are households using alternative water sources?

8/12 Results II

2. If so, what water sources are they using? And for what purpose?

9/12 Results III

3. How long do they have been using these alternative water sources?

And 4. Are they satisfied with them?

10/12 Initial conclusions

• Substitution is still anecdotally in the majority of uses and is not a recent trend, but an habit

• Substitution is specially due to quality concerns regarding potable water rather than quantity issues

• Substitution has not been a relevant factor in the perfet storm occurred in Catalonia over the last 10 years, so there is capacity to continue reducing domestic water consumption 11/12 Future work

• Explore the differences between urban, periurban and rural areas to test the influence of different urban models (compact vs sprawl)

• Compare the results in Catalonia with similar studies conducted in other places, such as in Victoria (Australia)

12/12 Maria Vallès & David Saurí GRATS – Dept. of Geography – Autonomus University of Barcelona (UAB) http://geografia.uab.es/grats/