IB ESS HL 4.2.6 Domestic Water Conservation Question Bank
Evaluate household and community strategies for conserving water.
- Syllabus
- First assessment 2026
- Course
- ESS HL
- Level
- HL
Evaluate household and community strategies for conserving water.

Figure:Dam storage, urban and agricultural water use, and rainfall in the Western Cape, 2014-2018
Outline two strategies that may have been used to reduce urban water use, as shown in Figure: Dam storage, urban and agricultural water use, and rainfall in the Western Cape, 2014-2018.
a. campaigns to educate public to reduce water use e.g. by encouraging change in individual behavior to reduce water use;
b. promotion/use of water saving appliances/devices;
c. replacing lawns/yards/grass with drought-tolerant gardens/dry-land gardening;
d. recycling/reuse of water/grey water;
e. use of rainwater capture/water butts/barrels to collect rainwater;
f. improvements in infrastructure to reduce water leakage/losses;
g. imposing water usage quotas/water restrictions;
h. installation/use of water meters to encourage less water usage / water tariff rates that increase as use increases / increase in water prices;
i. change from water intensive industries to non-water intensive industries e.g. service-based businesses (within urban areas);
j. promote the use of public swimming pools instead of private/domestic pools;
Note: Do not accept 'decrease in population'.
Marking guidance:
Do not accept only examples without reference to strategy.
Do not accept methods that increase main supply of water e.g. use of desalinisation plants'.
Accept other reasonable responses.