Demand-side management of residential water use in Vancouver

This study considers policy alternatives that the City of Vancouver could explore to encourage water conservation among residential water users. Using both quantitative and qualitative data, the study identifies the factors that influence per capita residential water demands in Canadian cities and the relevant policy instruments applied to encourage water conservation. Primary data sources are Environment Canada surveys of municipal water systems and case studies from the United States of best practices with respect to water conservation. The data analysis reveals that the price of water, metering, educational conservation policies, and non-price incentives are significant factors affecting per capita residential water demand. Following that, this study proposes and assesses policies to reform water management in Vancouver. Policy recommendations to the city include: (i) introducing a universal water metering programme and (ii) applying increasing block rate pricing to encourage water conservation among the public.