Pressure on the cistern: Use of water rocketed during pandemic

The Covid-19 pandemic has changed many things - from the way we shop, to the way we work, travel, energy usage and now - the way we use water.

Researchers from Cranfield University found household water consumption changed significantly after the start of the COVID-19 lockdown.

Using data from smart meters the study found that our water usage shifted from predominantly higher usage early in the morning to multiple peaks and continued demand throughout the day.

The study used machine learning algorithms to analyse and identify patterns in hourly water consumption data from 11,528 households in the East of England between January and May last year.

The research, the first of its kind in the UK, was designed to quantify network consumption and to look at different behaviours and usage patterns.

Among the findings were that people were getting up later - there was a sharp decrease in water usage between 7 and 8am, and there was an overall increase in household consumption from March to May 2020 compared to the same period in 2019

Halidu Abu-Bakar, PhD researcher in the Cranfield Centre for Competitive Creative Design said lockdown had led to an increase in household water demand, exacerbating existing pressure on supplies.

The research could be vital in helping water companies make strategic decisions.

The research used anonymised smart meter data and was supported by the UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).