Evaluating Changes in Peak Water Demand and How That May Affect the Choice, Design, Management, and Evaluation of Demand Management Strategies

Water efficiency and conservation programs, policies, and regulations have been utilized to reduce peak demand, which can significantly decrease infrastructure and operating expenses for water utilities. This research will evaluate these peak demand strategies, as well as the costs and benefits of employing these strategies. By evaluating which water efficiency and conservation strategies are most useful to reduce peak demand—including when, where, and how to deploy them—conservation teams can better work in concert with the utility operations and capital planning teams. This project will help cultivate conversations across multiple utility departments to develop a shared understanding of how certain strategies affect other utility operations and costs.