Stay-at-Home Orders during the COVID-19 Pandemic Reduced Urban Water Use

• DOI: 10.1021/acs.estlett.0c00979
• Publication Date: 2021-02-10T18:44:41Z
• Authors: Dongyue Li; Ruth A. Engel; Xiaoyu Ma; Erik Porse; Jonathan D. Kaplan; Steven A. Margulis; Dennis P. Lettenm...
• Keywords: Pandemic; Water use

In response to the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic, many governments instituted "stay-at-home" orders prevent spread coronavirus. The resulting changes in work and life routines had potential substantially perturb typical patterns urban water use. We present here an analysis how these pandemic responses affected California's consumption. Using demand modeling that fuses integrated use database, we first simulated a business-as-usual (non-pandemic) scenario for essentially all areas California. then subtracted from actual isolate caused solely by response. found decreased 7.9%, which can be largely attributed 11.2% decrease commercial, industrial, institutional sector more than offset 1.4% increase residential sector. influence stay-at-home practices on is slightly stronger combined influences non-pandemic factors. This study covers both metropolitans suburbs; therefore, results could also useful impacts other areas.