PLANNING SITE‐SPECIFIC WATER‐DEMAND MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES
In: Water and environment journal, Band 18, Heft 1, S. 29-35
ISSN: 1747-6593
ABSTRACTWater‐demand management is a pro‐active approach to water conservation, which considers water‐consumption 'needs'as 'demands'rather than requirements. Taking into account a variety of engineering strategies to reduce urban water consumption, this research discusses the use of a tool for developing a master plan for site‐specific implementation. The tool links the characteristics of urban areas (engineering, economic and social) with the applicability of particular water‐demand management strategies within a fuzzy logic framework, to provide spatially‐sensitive decision support ‐ both at a strategic and an application level. The initial results, under various user‐defined scenarios, are presented and discussed. It is argued that decision‐support tools are beneficial in assisting the water industry to move towards a more pro‐active approach to urban water management, similar to the approach which has already been adopted by the Telecommunication and Energy sector.