Abstract:
Characterization of water demand can be of great value for the management of water supply
systems. Especially when water resources are limited, permanently or seasonally, the identification
of the types of consumers and their characteristics is essential to identify opportunities to promote
efficiency and demand management options. For each customer category, information to be obtained
includes individual uses, typical daily usage patterns (average and dispersion), specific characteristics
and magnitude. Knowledge and systematization of water uses also provide data to improve
water balance and thus allow reducing uncertainty in estimation of losses. A study carried out in
Algarve, a region where stress on water supply resources has been increasing, is presented aiming
at better characterization of water consumption in the region to improve response both to normal
and emergency situations.
