Did the COVID-19 pandemic expand our knowledge about the sociospatial drivers of domestic water use? Insights from a European City

Abstract Evidence shows that income and residential density, the latter associated with outdoor water uses such as gardens and swimming pools in single houses, are considered key factors in explaining variations of water consumption in urban areas. However, these findings tell us little on the role played by personal habits in water use. Measures adopted to minimize the spread of COVID-19 virus such as population lockdowns and recommendations for frequent hand, clothing, and food washing represent an opportunity to analyze how individuals behave in relation to water consumption under the same conditions and recommendations and regardless of their income or housing type. Using the case of a medium sized European city with mixed residential areas (Girona, Northeast Spain), this research investigates consumer behavior combining quantitative techniques such as cluster analysis with qualitative tools based on data provided by 35 face-to-face interviews conducted with residents from different neighborhoods of the city. Results show that changes in water use introduced during confinement do not picture a behavioral pattern aligned with the variables that, conventionally, help to explain domestic water consumption such as income. Hence the need to refocus urban water policies more towards residential land use models rather than towards specific socioeconomic profiles of residents.