The aim of this project was to understand current household water use behaviour and water use patterns in Harbin, North of China, to improve the efficiency of household water use, and encourage the sustainable use and conservation of water resources.

The top level objectives of this study were: 

1. To investigate household water use behaviour and water appliance characteristics; 
2. To analyse household behaviours and appliance characteristics to water consumption;
3. To estimate household water consumption and pattern;
4. To examine the reliability of the research results;
5. To compare the results of this research with other Chinese cities;
6. To analyse any water-saving potential for the residential sector.

In more detail the research explored the following:

Household water usage behaviour:

Personal water usage habits, including appliance use frequency and the corresponding average duration e.g. shower use frequency and duration of each shower.

Characteristics of water appliances:

Water flow rates associated with different appliances e.g. showerheads and taps; Common types of water use appliance at home; The percentage of people who owned water efficient appliances e.g. dual flush toilet

Water use patterns:

Analysis of survey results and classification of water use patterns (low/moderate/high consumption); The impact of the identified patterns  

Comparison analysis of water pattern:

Identification of any differences in water use patterns between Harbin and other countries or Chinese cities, and the underlying causes of these differences.