A segmentation approach to understanding water consumption behavioral patterns among households in Saudi Arabia for a sustainable future

Urban water consumption has significant implications for both human welfare and the environment, especially in arid regions. In Saudi Arabia, where 60% of the urban water supply relies on energy-intensive desalination processes, the average per capita water consumption rate of 300 L/day is one of the highest worldwide. This study investigates potential behavioral patterns in residential water consumption among households in Saudi Arabia. A segmentation approach is employed to classify residents into clusters and evaluate their potential water consumption behavioral patterns. Data from 618 households were collected via a structured questionnaire and analyzed using descriptive statistics, principal component analysis (PCA), and cluster analysis (CA). Participants were categorized into six segments based on the relationship between their behaviors and water consumption derived from the factor analysis. The outcomes of PCA and CA analyses indicate a relationship between respondents’ socio-demographic factors and their potential behavioral patterns in residential water consumption. The findings highlight that education, household size, income, housing type, age, and nationality, in increasing order of significance, are the key factors influencing household water consumption and conservation tendencies. The paper concludes that comprehending residential water consumption patterns is crucial for effective interventions, social marketing strategies, and communication campaigns for behavioral changes. The study can inform water conservation policies and programs that promote sustainable water consumption practices, benefiting agencies, policymakers, and scholars in the water sector.