Analysis of residential water demand in Antalya

In Turkey, it?s difficult to meet clean and qualified water due to increasing population. Water supplies of cities are being polluted and reduced. Nowadays, the economical consumption of water and water demand management, particularly in metropolitan cities, has become a very important issue. Thus, the importance of water demand management is increasing in Antalya, called as a metropolitan city. The main purpose of the study was to measure the effects of price, income and socio-economical variables on household water demand in Antalya using with two different demand models. The first demand model was based on time series and just the price was present as an explanatory variable. The second model was described as household water demand model and based on cross sectional data. ?The Antalya City Centre Socio-Economical and Demographical Structure, Employment and Life Satisfaction Survey?, which has been conducted in five central district (the city center of Antalya, Muratpaşa, Kepez, Konyaaltı, Aksu and Döşemealtı) with 496 household in May-June 2009. In household water demand model, the results of this survey were used to predict the impacts of income-demand elasticity and the socio-economic diversity on water usage. In the analysis, socio-economical and demographical variables {the number of individuals, households monthly income, the arithmetic average water bill of autumn, summer and winter period, the area of the house, marital status of household leader} and convenience goods ownership (i.e. dishwasher machine ownership) values were used. In time series demand model, last ten-year data of annual subscriber, monthly water usage amount (m³) and tariff (price) obtained from The General Directorate of Antalya Water and Wastewater Management (ASAT) were used to estimate the water demand. According to modeling results, price-demand elasticity and income-demand elasticity were found to be -0.0017 and 0.0635, respectively. The water can be qualified as a mandatory and non-substituted source. The water has a very small fraction in total household expenditure in Antalya as experienced throughout the country. Therefore, it?s an expected situation of getting low price-demand elasticity results. Low income-demand elasticity and price-demand elasticity results are indicated that, enlightenment of household is more important than economical factors in managing the household water demand.