EFFECTS OF HOUSEHOLD CHARACTERISTICS ON URBAN WATER USE

Abstract

Urban areas of the world are already or almost facing unprecedented water scarcity due to increased demand from the ever-growing urban population without an equivalent growth in the development of water supplies. Unfortunately, contemporary urban water management practices have not been able to adequately respond to this need. Just like in other users, there is a growing need for urban water consumers to innovate in the way they utilize available water resources especially at the household level in order to ensure sustainable utilization. This makes it necessary for urban residents and planners to understand present water use patterns in order to influence their overall water consumption and policy on urban water management respectively. This makes it critical to study household water use patterns and the influence of different household characteristics on water use. This study, conducted in Iten Town of Elgeyo Marakwet County Kenya, is one such study. The specific objectives of the inquiry were to: determine household water use patterns in Iten Town, establish the relationship between household socio-economic characteristics and water use and establish household water conservation strategies practiced in the Town. The research adopted a mixed-method design where collection and analysis of qualitative and quantitative data was done. The data collected included information on socio-economic attributes of household heads, main sources and uses of water, the amount of water consumed within households, among others. Quantitative data was analyzed with the assistance of IBM Statistical Package for Social Scientists (SPSS) computer package. Pattern matching and thematic analysis of qualitative data was done to identify important themes and relationships in the use of water. The study revealed piped water as the main source of water in Iten Town and that large households consumed less water per person in a day than those with few members. For instance, households with 8 members used an average of 27 l/p/d while a single member household used 64 l/p/d. It was also found that households with gardens and livestock used comparatively large amounts of water. Findings further revealed reusing water, minimal water use, use of pit latrines instead of flush toilets, water storage and turning off taps while brushing teeth as the main water conservation options practiced in Iten Town. Besides controlling gardening and livestock keeping in urban areas, this study recommends exploration of alternative sources of water such as rain water harvesting particularly by households who must have gardens and livestock as a means of reducing pressure on municipal water supply.