THE INFLUENCE OF CLIMIATIC CONDITIONS, DEMOGRPHIC VARIATIONS, AND WATER DEMAND MANAGEMENT POLICY ON DOMESTIC PER-CAPITA WATER USE IN THE UNITED STATES

Abstract

Very little is known about how water use differs in various climatic regions. Many studies have been done on the topic of water resources and climate change, but they mainly emphasize on how the changing climate affects water quality. When water quality is decreasing, the quantity of water supply will be affected as well. Balancing water supply and water demand is very critical for sustainable development, because the wellbeing of human lives and sensitive ecosystems depend on reliable water sources. This paper explores the pattern of domestic per-capita water use in various climatic regions and the influence of climatic conditions, demographic variations, and demand management policies on water use. My research focuses on nine climatic regions across the U.S. I focus my research around the following questions: 1) how does per-capita domestic water use vary across various climatic regions, 2) how do the various water demand management policies vary across climatic regions, and 3) how do climatic conditions, demographic factors, and water demand management policies relate to domestic per-capita water use?