Pressure management and residential consumption reduction

Abstract

The benefits of applying pressure management in urban water supply networks have been well known for more than 10 years. Apart from reducing leakage, it also reduces burst frequency and consumption. However, the reduction of consumption with pressure is an objective that has only been considered a priority in water scarcity scenarios and suffers from a lack of systematic or conclusive studies. This paper analyses the relationship between pressure and consumption in a water distribution network equipped with remote water meter reading. Based on end use breakdowns, the paper estimates the percentage of pressure-dependent consumption. It establishes three different scenarios and assesses the relationship between pressure and consumption by means of the N3 coefficient.