An epistemic analysis of per capita water consumption in residential buildings of Hong Kong

Up-to-date ‘per capita’ freshwater consumption and its profile are essential parameters for planning and estimating the sizing of water plants, storage tank and system operations for high-rise residential buildings. In this study, Bayesian estimates of the ‘per capita’ freshwater consumption profiles in some residential buildings were developed from the existing domestic water consumption patterns and the latest regional survey studies of households. The results showed that the best estimates of the ‘per capita’ freshwater annual consumption in Hong Kong residential buildings were between 59.6 m3 hd–1 yr–1 and 69.4 m3 hd–1 yr–1, equivalent to 43 to 50 % of the total freshwater consumption in Hong Kong, with prior estimates of 60 m3 hd–1 yr–1 and 102 m3 hd–1 yr–1 respectively. The epistemic approach would be useful for evaluating the domestic water consumptions that are under continuous monitoring.