A Framework for Archive Demand Management Strategies: A Pilot Study on Water Use in a Low-Income Brazilian Area

This study presents a pilot study in suburban households in Salvador, Brazil, inserted in the context of a framework developed to aid water demand management strategies. The framework aims to understand the barrier of subjectivity while identifying consumption habit patterns in households. Six key sets of components create the framework architecture: (1) characterization of the area based on: context, climate, population/area, population growth rate, and water management challenges; (2) a survey to obtain socio-demographic and physical property data of the sample; (3) smart metering and data processing systems to monitor sample water end use; (4) determining daily consumption patterns; (5) analyzing qualitative data through theoretical consumption models to identify relevant variables for the next step; and (6) construction of representative mathematical models of consumption for each daily practice (this item was not included on pilot). It provides a starting point to understand how water demand management strategies can be supported at the user and decision-making level. As a result, improvements to the interview guides used in the pilot were suggested. Furthermore, customized measures to promote rational water consumption were identified in the study area, and policies could be proposed.