Colleges and universities are a typical service water consumers in China, i.e., with a dense population, single structure, and regular water use. This means it is crucial to strengthen the management of their water use behavior. In this paper, first of all, the main water devices and water use behavior of students were elucidated by investigating and analyzing the structure and scenarios of water use in colleges and universities. Then, a model of water use behavior of college students with sociodemographic and environmental characteristics was constructed based on the theory of planned behavior (TPB). By investigating and analyzing the water use behavior, the theoretical judgment of the improved TPB model that “behavior is the result of interaction between individual and environmental characteristics” was proved, which provides a reference for studying the water demand requirements of college students and supports scientific water-use management in colleges, our results also help the exploration of potential water-saving solutions in order to construct water-conservative colleges and universities.

As a representative service industry, the hotel industry has a complex water-use structure and high water consumption. It is of great significance to investigate the mechanisms determining hotel water-use behavior for demand analysis, as this would make it possible to enhance water-use efficiency and enact targeted water-saving measures. Using Spearman’s hierarchical correlation coefficient, the multi-layer perceptron (MLP) neural network model, and the structural equation model (SEM), in this study, we explored the mechanism determining hotel consumers’ water-use behavior from different dimensions and constructed a typical water-use behavior model based on the MLP-SEM model. In terms of individual water-use behavior, the results showed that individual characteristics, water-conservation awareness, and consumption behavior possessed significant differences regarding their influence on and correlation with various water-use behaviors. The most relevant factors influencing each behavior, namely washing up, hand washing, and drinking, were daily stay in the hotel, education, and income. Gender had the greatest impact on bathing and toilet-flushing water-use behaviors. The importance of daily stay in the hotel was 0.181, which meant that this was the most significant factor influencing the direct water-use behavior of hotel guests. The following factors were identified: hotel type, income, age, and gender. Typical individual characteristics had a significant impact on main water-use behaviors, whereas typical consumption behaviors had no effect. These results can provide a foundation for relevant research in other industries and serve as a basis for a prediction model of water consumption in hotels based on water-use behavior. Furthermore, they provide a basis for the delicate management of water-use behavior in hotels, making it possible to effectively guide the public to consciously adopt water-saving habits, thus improving water efficiency, which could alleviate the shortage of water resources in the long-term.

The sustainable management of domestic water use is essential for China’s ongoing development. Despite its significance, public service water use, especially within the hotel industry, is frequently neglected. This industry not only accounts for substantial water usage, but it has also witnessed exponential growth over the past decade. In light of this, this study developed a survey on the water demand and behavior of hotel consumers and built a water consumption model to analyze the different characteristics of the total volume of water used by various water appliances. Furthermore, by dividing the hierarchical intervals of each water-use behavior, it identified the main water-saving target of each water appliance. The results showed that the daily water demand of each consumer in hotels ranged from 45 to 141 L/(person·d). Among the various water-use appliances, faucets had the highest proportion of excessive water use, reaching nearly 40%, which implies a relatively large potential for saving water. Additionally, showers were the next major contributors to water consumption, whereas the proportion of excessive water use for water closets was relatively small. Owing to different habits, there is also variability in the main groups of people targeted for water conservation across water appliances, with females having the largest potential for water consumption in hotels. The results of this study can provide greatvaluable insights for enhancing water-use efficiency in hotels and standardizing water management practices within the industry.

With the intensification of the global energy crisis and the increase in environmental awareness, energy-saving problems related to household appliances have garnered widespread attention. Here, the usage patterns of electric washing machine users and their energy-saving potential was mainly explored, so as to improve the current situation that the influencing factors of existing research behaviors were not deep enough and the energy saving potential was not specific enough. A questionnaire survey was used to gather information on 20,840 users, including individual characteristics, energy-saving awareness, and usage behavior. The study analyzed the differences in users’ energy-saving awareness and behavior through a series of analysis methods, and evaluated the energy-saving and water-saving potential of electric washing machines. The results showed that user behavior such as washing mode, washing temperature, and the volume ratio of clothes significantly affected on the energy and water consumption of electric washing machines. Individual characteristics of users such as gender, age, educational background, and family income were strongly correlated with their awareness of and decisions made regarding energy conservation. Improving the energy efficiency of electric washing machines and optimizing user purchasing behavior could result in 38,787.54 GWh national energy savings potential, and 6.90 million tons of water-saving potential. This study will help manufacturers and government departments better understand consumers’ usage behavior regarding electric washing machines, which could allow them to modify their market strategies and bolster the promotion and education of energy efficiency labels for electric washing machines. This also could support the nation’s objectives for environmental preservation, water and energy conservation, and the sale of products with lesser energy efficiency.

As global energy resources get more limited and environmental problems worsen, it is crucial to enhance energy efficiency and reduce energy consumption in end-use products. This research focuses on electric water heaters, a significant household energy consumer, and collects a large amount of data through questionnaires and analyzes the current usage patterns of water heater use, as well as the impact of the users’ personal characteristics and energy-saving consciousness on usage behaviors. It also evaluates the energy-saving potential under different scenarios, considering both consumer behaviors and product efficiency levels. Results indicate that a substantial number of users still purchase high-energy-consuming water heaters and fail to adjust temperatures according to their specific needs, resulting in considerable energy waste. Electric water heaters exhibit significant potential for energy savings, with the efficiency of the product and user behaviors identified as key factors influencing overall energy consumption. The study provides important insights into the usage behavior of electric water heaters and offers actionable recommendations for manufacturers and government agencies: advocating the use of certified energy-efficient water heaters, raising public awareness of energy efficiency in appliance use, etc., which is in line with the country’s goals of energy conservation and environmental sustainability.

Water-efficient products, a key component of water-saving technology, are widely installed and utilized in all sectors of society. Due to China’s extensive and varied use of this product, advancements in effectiveness and quality will significantly enhance people’s standard of living. In recent years, manufacturers, corporate purchasers, and individual customers have given more attention to the quality of these items due to the spike in local market and export demands for water-efficient products in China. It has been a pressing problem to find a practical solution for increasing product quality in a reasonable and scientific manner. In order to build a DECIA quality improvement model for water-efficient product quality that is quantifiable and technically practical, this paper investigates how to improve the quality of smart water closets based on six-sigma management. Thus, the development of a water-efficient industry can be green and sustainable.