Evaluating Municipal Water Conservation Policies Using a Dynamic Simulation Model

Sajjad Ahmad () and Dinesh Prashar

Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), 2010, vol. 24, issue 13, 3395 pages

Abstract: A dynamic simulation model is developed for South Florida to capture the interrelationships between water availability and competing municipal, agricultural, and environmental water demands. This paper presents the model structure and findings related to municipal water demand and potential for water conservation. The policies of introducing low flow appliances, xeriscaping, and pricing are tested for their effectiveness in reducing municipal water demand. Performance criteria of reliability, resilience, and vulnerability are used to measure the success of policies. Policies are also evaluated for their impact on environmental flow requirements. The model is calibrated using data from 1975 to 2005 for population growth, municipal water demand, and water levels in Lake Okeechobee; and simulations are carried out from 2005 to 2030 on a monthly time step. Sensitivity analysis is performed and extreme condition tests are conducted to evaluate the robustness of the model. The status-quo (defined as no changes in the current water use patterns) simulations show a reduction in environmental flows after 2010 leading to an increase in the number of minimum flow level violations. Policies tested show potential for a reduction in municipal demand and for improvement in environmental flows. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2010

Keywords: System dynamics; Water conservation; South Florida; Municipal water demand; Pricing; Xeriscaping; Low flow appliances (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2010
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (16)

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DOI: 10.1007/s11269-010-9611-2

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