The Challenges of Residential and Industrial Water Use

Abstract

In countries like Spain in which agricultural activities dominate water use, urban and industrial water demand is, from the quantity point of view, a minor issue. Nevertheless, in the last decades urban water use is gaining relevance. A simple risk analysis bears out this relevance: although even in dry periods the probability of a supply failure is low, the costs associated with it are extremely high. In any case, problems linked to agricultural uses are, generally speaking, different from those related to urban and industrial ones. In very few occasions both uses compete. Hence, it could be argued that the problems that each of them face are rather disconnected. However, they do confront a common challenge: how to adapt old policies to modern-day conditions. This paper reflects on the challenges that urban water faces and the strategies that would allow for a more sustainable water management system.