Evaluating basic household characteristics influencing domestic water demand in tropical environments: a comprehensive case study

Abstract

Understanding household water dynamics is crucial for achieving SDG 6 targets. This study explores the impact of 16 socio-demographic variables on household water demand in a tropical Nigerian community from February 2023 to January 2024, surveying eighty diverse households monthly. Descriptive and inferential statistics were applied to the survey data. Females constituted 85.8%, with 98.0% aged at least 18 and 73.6% having secondary education. Factorability of the dataset was confirmed (KMO = 63.4, p < 0.005). Analysis identified seven key variables, explaining 72.03% of observed variance: household size, water source reliability, time cost of obtaining water, water storage strategy, consumptive water use, monthly income, and water source management type. Further scrutiny revealed two variable groups, contributing 42.3% (VAR 1 and VAR 2) and 51.4% (VAR 3, 4, 5, and 6) of total absolute variance, respectively. This analysis is vital for effective household water planning and management, especially in resource-limited regions. Extracted variables warrant attention from industry stakeholders, with subsequent investigations revealing robust relationships (55.5–99.1%) among variables. This understanding is pivotal for institutionalizing policies and strategic decision-making in household water supply planning and management. It offers comprehensive insights for aligning practices with SDG 6 goals, ensuring sustainable and equitable access to water resources.