Understanding a school water-use profile

Start with the actual activities

A day school may use less water when classrooms are empty, while boarding and staff accommodation can continue using it. Cleaning, irrigation, tank filling and treatment cycles may run outside teaching hours. Record those activities rather than assigning an expected curve solely from the school type.

Pool circulation moves existing water through the system. Mains use arises from make-up water and operations such as replacing backwash losses; these should be checked against pool records rather than assumed to form a constant flow.

Look at the whole pattern

Compare volumes and rates across comparable periods. A rise in the overnight minimum can prompt checks for leakage or unrecorded use. An increase confined to daytime can still merit investigation, including for equipment or faults active only during use. Neither observation rules a cause in or out.

Review timestamps, units and gaps before interpreting logger data. A recording change can resemble an operational change.

Use further measurements to narrow the question

Record when the change first appeared and what happened on site around that time. Where a major use obscures the total, consider a suitable sub-meter or separate operating records. Sub-metering can help attribute consumption, but its cost, installation and usefulness need assessment. Confirm suspected causes through inspection or testing.