Cities depend upon a limited fresh water supply. Although households are responsible for less than 10% of fresh water used globally, they have significant potential to influence water consumption. In addition to reducing the strain a city has on its fresh water supply, reduced household water consumption can reduce the demand on water infrastructure and in some cases, improve the availability for other households SSWM.

Households can reduce their water consumption by behavioural change and by improving the efficiency of water-related equipment. Behaviour change consists of actions such as reducing shower time, using shorter cycle washing machine settings, and only using a dishwasher at full capacity. Improving the efficiency of water-related equipment can be achieved by actions such as repairing or replacing a leaking toilet, installing a water saving shower head, and replacing an inefficient washing machine with a more efficient alternative.

Cities can play a role in reducing household water consumption in many different ways. Non-price mechanisms can be used, in which water reduction is achieved without penalising households financially. This includes actions such as creating water conservation campaigns, prohibiting certain water uses (e.g. hose pipes), installing water management devices in households to restrict water to a sustainable level and restricting water centrally in more extreme circumstances. However, price-based mechanisms can also be used in which the household is subject to varying water tariffs depending on the fresh water availability (Matikinca et al.).