Nationwide study of the response of municipal outdoor water use to climatic factors

Abstract

Urban water supply planning has become increasingly challenging under the effects of climate change, population growth, and altered land use patterns. Outdoor water use is a major component of the urban water budget, often accounting for over half of total annual household use in municipalities across the United States. This study aims to assess the relationship between outdoor water use for landscape irrigation and climatically-driven factors (i.e. precipitation, temperature, evapotranspiration) for 230 U.S. cities. Results of this study have implications for water resource planning, hydrologic considerations, and utility pricing structures.