Abstract

BLANCO S, Henry A; LARA DE WILLIAMS, Milagros; VELEZMORO, Ana C  and  AGUILAR L, Víctor H. Water consumed by domestic activities: Case study: students of environmental sanitation course UCV. Rev. Fac. Ing. UCV [online]. 2014, vol.29, n.1, pp.51-56. ISSN 0798-4065.

This paper presents the results of the measurements of a water consumption campaign, carried by 175 students of the Environmental Sanitation subject, at the Faculty of Engineering of the Universidad Central de Venezuela, between 2009 and 2012. The data gathered was analyzed by a principal component analysis based on the correlation matrix, which generates a Biplot graph, using the PAST V.2.16 software. Once the right correlation of the data was verified and the pattern behavior was established, the values of water consumption obtained are typical of people living in the urban area previously mentioned and do not spend much time at home during week days. The average water consumption of the sample studied was 275 l/person-d, higher than the established in the references used worldwide, 200 to 250 l/person-d, and even higher than the theoretical reference presented by Hidroven, 153 - 215 1/person-d, as well as studies performed in Chile, 133 l/person-d. The distribution of water used in showers and personal hygiene as well as wastewater disposal is in the same range than the ones presented by the World Health Organization (WHO), Aguas de Mérida C.A. in Venezuela and by the University of Barcelona in Spain (10% difference). However, the distribution is different in both categories, it is lower for wastewater disposal 20% compared to 36 and 40% presented by Aguas de Mérida and WHO, and higher for the water used in showers, 42% compared to 20, 31 and 33% presented in those works. We suggest the working on campaigns that stimulate the use of equipment to decrease water consumption, particularly in showers, and thereby minimize the total daily consumption of drinking water, thus promoting the rationalization of water consumption.

Keywords : Water consumption; Allocations; Drinking water; Water for domestic use.

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