# Assessment of Water Consumption Behavior in Single Households Using Smart Water Meters
## 3 Results
### Categorization of Single Households by Smart Water Meter Data
Hence, an analysis of single household water consumption during weekdays (Mondays-Fridays) relative to all households revealed that 227 households fell within the range (143-429 L/day) of single households during the target weekdays. To better understand the behaviors of single-household water consumption, consumption patterns during weekdays (Monday-Friday) and weekends (Saturday-Sunday) were examined. The variation in water consumption behavior between weekdays and weekends is essential in water consumption behavior analysis. Tuesday was selected as a representative of weekdays because average daily water consumption closely approximates the weekday average (Mondays-Fridays), as shown in Figure 1. Fewer people work on Saturdays because some companies are often open on Saturdays in Japan; thus, Sundays were chosen to represent weekends. Hence, daily water consumption for each household was assessed over an extended timeframe, including four Tuesdays (6 th, 13 th, 20 th, and 27 th weekdays) and four Sundays (4 th, 11 th, 18 th, and 25 th weekends) in September 2022. Analyzing Hourly Water Consumption, Demand Timings, and Behavior Activities between Single Households: Worker vs. Nonworker  
The variations in water consumption among 227 single households on weekdays are shown in Figure 6. The peak occurred in the morning, at approximately 8:00-9:00, with an average of 25 L/h throughout the 2 h. Thus, the consumption rate gradually decreased until the late afternoon at 17:00, when the rate was 9 L/h. It then increased again until 22:00, at 20 L/h, and the total daily average consumption for 24 h periods was 295 L/day on Tuesdays. The water consumption of single households was examined. Identifying households with stable and predictable consumption patterns made it possible to analyze and make decisions on the basis of water consumption patterns and household types of single-worker and -nonworker households. Moreover, this categorization was performed separately for weekdays and weekends to account for potential variations in water consumption patterns, and these categories were established by identifying patterns and features that separate them. Indeed, single-worker households typically consume water during specific hours, such as early morning hours and evenings, when they are preparing for work or returning home on weekdays. Additionally, while working, the worker consumes no water during the week. Single-nonworker households consume water on the basis of leisure time during the day. Hence, by investigating over 24 h of data for each household and separating households, particularly on weekdays, the afternoon hours ranged from 13:00 to 16:00. During these hours, consumption is significantly lower, constituting less than 10% of the total daily water consumption of single-worker households. The results of this categorization revealed that for 227 single households in the Chibata district, comparisons were conducted by  
Figure 5: Number of users who consumed between 143 and 429 L/day of water. monitoring on Tuesdays (weekdays) with the number of workers in the households ranging from 141 to 153. Moreover, nonworker households consumed 10% more water in the afternoon than worker households did. Single-nonworker households included retirees, stay-at-home parents, and individuals not engaged in the workforce. These households' water consumption routines and daily schedules exhibited considerable diversity and were influenced by their unique situations. The water consumption patterns observed in single-worker and -nonworker household types on weekdays are shown in Figure 7.  
These patterns exhibit notable variations throughout the day, reflecting the influence of workers' daily routines. Water consumption starts peaking at 7:00, with a consumption rate of 13 L/h, and the peak during the morning is at 8:00, when it reaches 29 L/day. In addition, a discernible peak period initiates at 7:00-10:00 in the morning, corresponding with the morning routine during these 4 h, and the average daily water consumption reaches 20 L/h.