Abstract
Water conservation is necessary to minimize water losses and meet the needs of the growing population. While several domestic water conservation measures (WCMs) have been developed and promoted among households in Africa, the extent of adoption and factors associated with their adoption are not well understood. We conducted an analysis to assess the current level of adoption and identify factors associated with household adoption of domestic WCMs through interviews with 150 randomly selected household heads from six villages in northern Tanzania. On average, 60% of the respondents reported implementing various WCMs whereas 40% did not implement any measures. The most adopted WCM was rainwater harvesting in water tanks, followed by wastewater reuse and the utilization of alternative cleaning methods such as brooms and towels. The likelihood of adopting WCMs was found to be higher among single heads of household compared to married heads of household. Additionally, adoption was negatively correlated with age but positively correlated with the distance between the household’s residence and alternative water sources. We recommend targeting water conservation education at elderly individuals, married couples, and those residing near water sources to improve domestic water conservation practices within local communities.
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