Discussion on application of high resolution images in urban water demand management

The application of remote sensing in urban water demand management is all along at blank stage in China. This paper introduced methods to estimate building height through high-resolution remote sensing images and examined the methods by an experiment of a residential area in Nanjing using IKNOS image, which proved that the shadow area method is more accurate than the shadow length method. On this basis, the paper focuses on discussing about the application prospect of high-resolution remote sensing images in urban water demand management. The high resolution images can be used for the quick estimation of water consumption inside buildings, the amount of grey water and reclaimed water that can be used in buildings, and the energy needed for supplying water for buildings. As a kind of supporting information, the estimated data would be helpful for the design of reclaimed water facilities, the site plan of water-intensity industries and the energy saving and emission reduction in urban water systems.