A critical review of methods used to obtain flow patterns and volumes of individual domestic water using appliances

Abstract

Determining the daily flow rates and water use patterns of specific household fixtures and appliances is important for water use monitoring, deriving effective strategies for water demand management, designing onsite water reuse systems, and efficient planning and investment in the urban water sector. Currently, there are a limited number of publications which address the need to measure flow patterns and volumes of individual household water-using appliances, or which analyze the alternatives to do so. This paper critically reviews and compares different methods of obtaining the specific flow patterns and volumes of water used by individual household water-using microcomponents (i.e. toilet, bath/shower, washbasin, washing machine, kitchen sink, dishwasher, etc.) in order to make recommendations about the appropriateness of these methodologies for various applications.

Methodology for estimating energy and water consumption patterns in university buildings: case study, Federal University of Roraima (UFRR)

“…These are mostly proprietary solutions, such as Identiflow, Flow trace analysis, or HydroSense. Identiflow and Flow trace analysis collect flow data and the HydroSense collect pressure transients data and then the signature of each fixture and appliance is mapped (DeOreo et al, 1996b;Froehlich et al, 2009;Morrison and Friedler, 2015). Identiflow and Flow trace analysis have been used successfully in several studies (DeOreo et al, 1996a;Willis et al, 2011Willis et al, , 2013.…”

“…Identiflow and Flow trace analysis have been used successfully in several studies (DeOreo et al, 1996a;Willis et al, 2011Willis et al, , 2013. The HydroSense is in an experimental phase (Morrison and Friedler, 2015). These technologies do not distinguish between fixtures or appliances with similar water signatures and loose precision when several similar devices are used simultaneously (Morrison and Friedler, 2015).…”

Simulations of scenarios for urban household water and energy consumption

“…The preliminary determinants and characteristics, including user preferences regarding energy [ 20 – 22 ] and water demand [ 23 – 26 ] in Italy, were derived from the scientific literature. The latest details for household energy consumption were derived from an official report that was published by the Italian Agency for Energy Efficiency (ENEA) [ 27 ].…”

Simulating the impact of water demand management options on water consumption and wastewater generation profiles

“…It could also inform water companies and customers where and when domestic peak demand is, where water-saving efforts could be more effective, which water appliances would result in better water conservation, and which alternative water supply systems (e.g. GWR and rainwater harvesting) would be more effective for water conservation (Meireles et al 2018;Morrison and Friedler 2015). Moreover, an efficient design of alternative water supply systems (onsite or decentralised) can be achieved when detailed information on household water use patterns and profiles are available (Campisano and Modica 2010;Morrison and Friedler 2015;Penn, Hadari, and Friedler 2012).…”