Optimization of water use in residential buildings

Accelerated urban growth is a factor driving demand for residential buildings, especially in developing countries, and global indicators show that population growth is increasing at a rate of 80 million people a year, implying the construction of buildings for new citizens. Likewise, said population growth generates an increase in the demand for fresh water, since the consumption of the resource is approximately 64 billion cubic meters per year. In this context, there is the unsustainable use of natural resources, since most houses are built without evaluating the incorporation of techniques that help reduce environmental impact. Water is one of the essential resources for life and its global demand is estimated to increase by 30% in the coming decades. In addition, the construction sector is responsible for 16% of the world's extraction of water resources. Therefore, the sustainable management of water use in homes is a pillar to counteract this shortage and one measure is the construction of sustainable buildings that efficiently consume this resource throughout the life of the project. In this way, this research develops an efficient system through techniques such as the reuse of gray water, rainwater and efficient equipment for new residential buildings that are based on the international BREEAM, LEED and EDGE certifications, and the use of MHS1 software to verify the possible savings in water consumption in the operational stage of the building.