Social inequality and water use in Australian cities: the social gradient in domestic water use

ABSTRACT

This paper explores the impact of social inequality on household water use in urban communities in first-world contexts, an under researched field. We report on an in-depth qualitative study of six communities in two Australian cities to determine the connections between levels of social advantage and household approaches to water use. The different meanings, materials and understandings that underpin domestic water use in each of these communities are documented. We found these elements were influenced by socio-economic status alongside broader systems and infrastructures, technologies and biophysical influences in each city context. Socially advantaged communities used water for leisure and luxury while disadvantaged communities struggled to meet their health and welfare needs. We propose that there is a social gradient in urban water use, which influences the types of sustainability and levels of resilience and liveability people can achieve in cities. The implications for ensuring socially inclusive urban sustainability are discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• Domestic water use
• social inequality
• disadvantage
• sustainability

Acknowledgements

This research acknowledges the support of the Cooperative Research Centre for Water Sensitive Cities, Commonwealth of Australia. The Authors are also grateful to the participants for their time and effort.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

ORCID

Paul Satur http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7778-1306

Jo Lindsay http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9717-627X