The Water Demand Assessment establishes a clear, defensible understanding of how much water a municipality should reasonably be using under defined operating conditions. It provides the benchmark required to distinguish between normal consumption and potential system loss.

Through structured demand modeling, the WDA accounts for all major consumption categories, including residential, commercial, institutional, and industrial use. It also incorporates seasonal variation and any applicable usage restrictions to ensure the model reflects real-world operating conditions.

The assessment establishes normalized system benchmarks, including:

Daily System Volume (DSV)
Minimum Nighttime Flow (MNF)

Where appropriate, the model may also include planning margins and an allowance for Assumed Non-Recoverable Water to reflect realistic system conditions.

It is important to note that the WDA defines expected demand only, it does not determine or quantify water loss. Instead, it provides the foundation required for accurate loss analysis in subsequent stages.