Analysis of average per capita water consumption in municipal schools of Joinville, Brazil

Abstract

Schools play an important role in sustainable water management, since environmental awareness often begins in the school environment. This article analyzed per capita water consumption in municipal elementary schools in Joinville, State of Santa Catarina, Brazil. Data collection began by sending questionnaires with 37 questions to the 91 schools in the municipality, obtaining feedback from 62 schools. For these purposes, monthly consumption data was collected from the local concessionaire, referring to the year 2022. The consumption data was processed, leaving 50 statistically representative schools. Based on the analyses, it can be concluded that the average per capita water consumption in these schools was 7.58 liters/student/day, a value lower than previous studies. Furthermore, no variations in consumption were found between school and holiday periods. As for unit consumption, an average value of 497.65 liters/m² month was found in institutions. Finally, a proportional relationship was observed between water consumption during class periods and the built area of buildings and that there is no socioeconomic impact on water consumption in schools, in relation to the neighborhood's income.