IoT Based Experimental Study to Modify Water Consumption Behavior of Domestic Users

In this paper, we present the results of a small experimental study to understand and quantify the impact of real time feedback on water consumption behavior inside buildings. We develop a low cost water monitoring node, which can be conveniently installed without plumbing requirements on water fixtures found in typical households and commercial buildings. In our experiment, we installed the developed Internet of Things (IoT) node on a kitchen sink in a commercial building. The sink was used primarily for washing mugs, plates, and making tea & coffee. We collected, analyzed and compared the data of different users for different activities (e.g., washing mugs and plates) to understand their water consumption pattern. Then, we provided real time feedback for three weeks to two major water consumers after every activity about potential water wastage. We observed a significant improvement in the water consumption behavior of these users (water wastage reduction up to 50%). This study clearly demonstrates the utility of low cost IoT based solutions and real time feedback in modifying water consumption behavior of domestic users.