A step towards water conservation in the state of Kuwait

Abstract

A campaign was conducted by the Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research (KISR) and funded by the Ministry of Electricity and Water (MEW) with a target of lowering the consumption of fresh water in the country by 20 million gallons per day and changing the water use culture of the society through reduction of waste and thus saving this important resource. The campaign, one of the biggest in Kuwait, involved the distribution of 1,100,000 faucet aerators to consumers in selected residential areas with high water consumption in addition to governmental authorities. The distributed aerators can save more than 40% of water consumption and sustain a constant flow of 6 l/min under a wide range of pressure The media campaign, that involved outdoor activities, TV and radio programs, news paper advertisements and articles, was used to highlight the responsibility of each consumer, the easy installation of the aerators and the benefits of using these water saving devices on the country, the society and the consumers. To improve public awareness, a call and a reception center were established, several seminars, public lectures, training courses, activities in the university and schools were arranged, in addition to the distribution of aerator packs embossed with water saving messages in exhibitions and shopping malls. Based on the reaction of the consumers, the availability of free installation and the experience gained in this project, 75% of the distributed aerators were expected to be installed with high level of confidence. This would save about Kuwaiti Dinars 15 million per year. Excellent reaction to and acceptance of the campaign by the consumers were encouraging and could be considered as the real success of this project. The outcomes of this project have proved that the option of saving water should have a priority in water resources management. © 2011 WIT Press.