Hourly water demand forecasting for micro water grids

Many countries have problems related to water scarcity and are thus seeking to promote greater water efficiency. A micro water grid (MWG) is a high-efficiency water management system that integrates information and communication technologies (ICT) for the water distribution systems in individual buildings. More accurate forecasting of hourly water demand is necessary if these systems are to function correctly and thus is the focus of this paper. Autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) variant models were developed to create 24-hour lead-time forecasts. The forecast and observed values for both variant and traditional models were compared and developed models seem to perform well. It is therefore recommended to use linear stochastic models when developing MWGs for forecasting water demand to ensure sustainable water resource planning and management in MWG projects.