Water Efficiency Techniques and Strategies for Sustainable Use of Water during Construction Phase of Building Projects

Abstract

A significant wastage and misuse of water in construction sites has been identified as a critical problem by previous researchers. However this aspect has not been well explored in the current literature. Therefore, this paper aims to explore the appropriate techniques and strategies to be adopted in construction sites for efficient water use. Moreover, the ways and means of sustainable use of water in construction projects is suggested. Various techniques and strategies of efficient water use were identified through a literature review and taken to the professionals involved in construction through a structured questionnaire survey to identify and rank their relevance to construction. Data was analysed through descriptive statistics and non-parametric tests using SPSS software. The findings of this study highlight the top five applicable water efficiency techniques to be: water audits, water leak detection and monitoring systems, pressure reduction valves, high pressure trigger operated spray gun hoses and sub-metering.The top five applicable strategies were: monitoring and supervision, implement environmental policies on natural resources, enhance water awareness among workers, assign responsibility and targets among the site staff and introduce water action plan at the beginning of the project.In addition, the paper discusses the professionals’ views on practical implications of improving the uptake of water efficiency techniques and strategies. Cost was identified as the main barrier for implementing water efficiency practices in Sri Lanka.