ABSTRACT
Since the beginning of civilization, water has been a fundamental component of societal and cultural development. Our intimate reliance on this resource is perhaps most discernible within our homes, where water directly assists us in fulfilling daily activities of eating, personal washing, drinking, clothing and gardening. Although the United Nations estimate that there is enough freshwater available for the world’s 6 billion inhabitants, much of this is distributed highly unevenly, is polluted, wasted or unsustainably managed. If present socioeconomic trends continue, the United Nations (2013) predict that 1.8 billion people worldwide will be living in absolute water scarcity by 2025 and two-thirds of the world’s population could be living under water-stressed conditions. Climate change will compound these trends, altering rainfall patterns, affecting the quality and availability of water supply for both ecological and human needs. In the face of these challenges, it is vital to search for ways to achieve large improvements to the efficiency of our water consumption across all societal end-uses.
