An accurate estimation of residential end uses of water is helpful in developing efficient water systems. If not obtainable through direct metering, this information can be gathered by disaggregating and classifying household-level water-use data. However, most automated techniques require fine-resolution data (e.g., 1 s) and end-use parameters which may be unavailable to water utilities. To fill the above gap, this study presents a method for the automated disaggregation and classification of indoor water-use data collected at the 1-min temporal resolution, and by exclusively relying on the end-use parameter values available in the literature. Specifically, the features of each water-use event detected at the household level are compared against the most common event features for the selected end-use category. The results obtained by testing the method with real data collected at 14 households in two different countries (Italy and the Netherlands) confirm its potential in disaggregating and classifying water end-use events with an average accuracy higher than 90% and an average (normalized) root-mean-square lower than 0.06 despite the lack of information about end uses in individual households. This demonstrates that end-use detection is possible even with data whose resolution is closer to that of most commercial water meters.

Urbanization increases the land surface temperature through surface mineralization, adversely affecting vegetation and enhancing the urban heat island (UHI) effect. Global climate change has intensified this warming effect with more frequent and intense heatwaves during hot seasons. While these transformations influence soil temperature, their consequences on drinking water temperature within the drinking water distribution system (DWDS) remains poorly understood. Literature proposes to increase pipe burial depths to mitigate drinking water heating during summer. In this study, we monitored drinking water temperatures in a DWDS in Montreal, Canada with deeply buried pipes (average 1.8 m) during the summer of 2022, focusing on two contrasting zones in terms of UHI and green coverage. Monitoring revealed a 8°C heating effect compared to the water treatment plant, attributed to low green coverage and anthropogenic heat. Conversely, the greener zone exhibited cooler drinking water temperatures, reaching a maximum cooling effect of 8°C as compared to the temperature at the exit of the water treatment plant. Utilizing a soil and water temperature model, we predicted drinking water temperatures within the DWDS with acceptable accuracy. Soil temperature modeling results aligned well with measured water temperatures, highlighting DWDS water temperature approaching its surrounding soil temperature fairly quickly. Despite heatwaves, no immediate correlation emerged between air temperature records and measured water temperatures, emphasizing soil temperature as a superior indicator. An increase in water age displayed no correlation with an increase in measured water temperature, underscoring the dominant influence of UHI and green coverage on water temperature. These findings highlight the cooling advantages of green spaces during summer, providing valuable insights for sustainable urban planning.

Drinking water temperatures are expected to increase in the Netherlands due to climate change and the installation of district heating networks as part of the energy transition. To determine effective measures to prevent undesirable temperature increases in drinking water, a model was developed. This model describes the temperature in the drinking water distribution network as a result of the transfer of heat from the climate and above and underground heat sources through the soil. The model consists of two coupled applications. The extended soil temperature model (STM+) describes the soil temperatures using a two-dimensional finite element method that includes a drinking water pipe and two hot water pipes coupled with a micrometeorology model. The extended water temperature model (WTM+) describes the drinking water temperature as a function of the surrounding soil temperature (the boundary temperature resulting from the STM+), the thermal sphere of influence where the drinking water temperature influences the soil temperature, and the hydraulics in the drinking water network. Both models are validated with field measurements. This study describes the WTM+. Previous models did not consider the cooling effect of the drinking water on the surrounding soil, which led to an overestimation of the boundary temperature and how quickly the drinking water temperature reaches this boundary temperature. The field measurements show the improved accuracy of the WTM+ when considering one to two times the radius of the drinking water pipe as the thermal sphere of influence around the pipe.

In the water industry, an accurate estimation of end-use water consumption is helpful for the implementation of efficient water systems and water-saving technologies. This study aimed to explore the characteristics of water consumption at nine households north of Amsterdam (the Netherlands), subjected to water consumption monitoring at high temporal resolution (i.e. 1 s). Overall, 36,297 water-use events monitored over about 447 days were automatically segmented into 44,115 individual events by means of a new rule-based filtering algorithm, and then labelled by expert analysts. A multi-stage analysis was then conducted in order to evaluate daily per capita end-use water consumption, daily end-use profiles, average end-use parameter average, and their statistical distributions. The results achieved provide insight into the features of end-use consumption, confirming that the largest components are typically related to showers/bathtubs, toilets, and washing machines, whereas different end-use parameter distributions can emerge.

A detailed characterization of residential water consumption is essential for ensuring urban water systems' capability to cope with changing water resources availability and water demands induced by growing population, urbanization, and climate change. Several studies have been conducted in the last decades to investigate the characteristics of residential water consumption with data at a sufficiently fine temporal resolution for grasping individual end uses of water. In this paper, we systematically review 114 studies to provide a comprehensive overview of the state-of-the-art research about water consumption at the end-use level. Specifically, we contribute with: (1) an in-depth discussion of the most relevant findings of each study, highlighting which water end-use characteristics were so far prioritized for investigation in different case studies and water demand modelling and management studies from around the world; and (2) a multi-level analysis to qualitatively and quantitatively compare the most common results available in the literature, i.e. daily per capita end-use water consumption, end-use parameter average values and statistical distributions, end-use daily profiles, end-use determinants, and considerations about efficiency and diffusion of water-saving end uses. Our findings can support water utilities, consumers, and researchers (1) in understanding which key aspects of water end uses were primarily investigated in the last decades; and (2) in exploring their main features considering different geographical, cultural, and socio-economic regions of the world.

Discoloured drinking water, caused by elevated concentrations of organic and inorganic particles, is unacceptable. It occurs due to accumulation and subsequent mobilisation of material from within drinking water distribution infrastructure. Discolouration is currently partially explained by either the theories of cohesive layers or gravitational sedimentation. It is proposed and shown here how the processes behind these two theories both occur and how to integrate them to better explain observed behaviour and inform operational interventions to reduce discolouration. Deficiencies in understanding regarding the process and factors that influence material accumulation are highlighted. Future research addressing these deficiencies will enable determination of long term sustainable management strategies balancing capital investment and operational maintenance to safeguard distribution of high quality drinking water.

Climate change demands for sustainable options for heating and cooling of buildings. Low-temperature thermal energy can be abstracted from the drinking water distribution system (DWDS); this is called thermal energy from drinking water (TED). The possible use of TED as a secondary function of the DWDS raises the question whether this secondary function can exist alongside the primary function (supplying safe and reliable drinking water) and, if so, under what conditions. Using various cases, the potential downstream effects of TED related to drinking water temperature (and hence, downstream increase of cost and CO₂emissions for water heating) and microbiological drinking water quality were studied.

In response to droughts, various media campaigns and water-saving instructions are released. However, these often only have temporary water conservation effects. A promising development in this regard is Digital Water Meters (DWM), which can provide near real-time water-use feedback. Despite extensive DWM experience in some water-stressed regions, a profound understanding of the initial attitude towards DWM and message-tailoring opportunities are rarely empirically explored. This study aims to obtain insights into the attitude towards the introduction of DWM and explore opportunities for message tailoring, a topic of extra relevance as we may be on the threshold of a large-scale DWM implementation in many world regions. Messages tailored to (i) normative beliefs and attitudes on drinking water, (ii) water-use activity and (iii) phase of decision-making, seem particularly compatible with DWM. Through a survey (n = 1037) in the Netherlands, we observe that 93% of respondents have no objections if their utility invests in DWM and that 78% would accept a (free) DWM because of improved leakage detection, lower costs and environmental considerations. Finally, instead of sociodemographic factors, we observe that an attitude-based customer segmentation approach is an especially useful predictor of respondent’s motivation to endorse DWM and forms a promising basis for water conservation message-tailoring strategies.

In this research, we investigated the influence of the heating of drinking water in the connection pipe under the influence of nearby district heating and the effect this has on water temperatures throughout the domestic drinking water system (DDWS) of a typical Dutch domestic property. We found that stagnant water in the connection pipe warms up fast, reaching the surrounding ground temperature in about 15 min, and these temperatures can be found throughout the house at taps such as the shower and the kitchen tap. Flowing water in the connection pipe is also, depending on the pipe length, heated up several degrees. The prevention of high temperatures in the soil around the connection pipe is the best measure to prevent high drinking water temperatures at the taps.

Water temperature is often monitored at water sources and treatment works; however, there is limited monitoring of the water temperature in the drinking water distribution system (DWDS), despite a known impact on physical, chemical and microbial reactions which impact water quality. A key parameter influencing drinking water temperature is soil temperature, which is influenced by the urban heat island effects. This paper provides critique and comprehensive summary of the current knowledge, policies and challenges regarding drinking water temperature research and presents the findings from a survey of international stakeholders. Knowledge gaps as well as challenges and opportunities for monitoring and research are identified. The conclusion of the study is that temperature in the DWDS is an emerging concern in various countries regardless of the water source and treatment, climate conditions, or network characteristics such as topology, pipe material or diameter. More research is needed, especially to determine (i) the effect of higher temperatures, (ii) a legislative limit on temperature and (iii) measures to comply with this limit.