Urban Priorities for Action Promoting Water Conservation For most cities, extending water supply coverage to current residents is challenge enough.
Many cities already face critical water shortages and high costs of supply.
The usual response is to increase supplies through expensive investments in new public infrastructure. Demand management is a particularly attractive option for cities in the developed world, where per capita water consumption is many times that in the developing world. The program focused on detecting and repairing leaks, metering, retrofitting showerheads and toilets with more efficient technologies, protecting water sources from pollution, and building support for the program among city residents through outreach and education. In developing countries, several cities have been implementing demand management programs. In Mexico City, for instance, the water utility implemented a new rate structure that charges more per cubic meter as consumption levels increase.