demoflush

n. a measure of seasonal population change, determined by the quantity of waste-water created. Subjects: English, Jargon

Editorial Note: This term is closely, and perhaps exclusively, associated with Ocean City, Maryland. Etymological Note: demography + flush

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Citations: 1972 Daily Times (Salisbury, Maryland) (June 18) “New Method Is Devised to Count Resort Crowd” (in Ocean City, Maryland) p. B-10: The scientists considered formulas based on city garbage collection, sales tax totals, and fresh water consumption but settled on demoflush “as the most sensitive barometer.” The formula assumes the average overnight visitor is responsible for 40 gallons of waste water and the day visitor for 7 gallons. 1976 Peter G. Goldschmidt, Andrew W. Dahl Growth and Change (Apr.) “Demoflush: estimating population in seasonal resort communities” @ Population Index (July, 1976) “Bibliography: N. Methods of Research and Analysis” vol. 42, no. 3, p. 551: The authors describe a model for relating wastewater output to seasonal changes in population, and for estimating the amount of additional medical facilities needed by resort areas during their peak season. Data from Ocean City, Maryland, are used to demonstrate the method. 1984 Saundra Saperstein, Victoria Churchville @ Ocean City, Maryland Washington Post (Sept. 4) “Throngs of Labor Day Sunseekers Cap Healthy Season Along Eastern Shore”: And as for the “demoflush” figures for summer’s traditional last weekend, they weren’t available today: Like workers across the county, the man who computes the numbers and employes of the sanitation commission had the day off. 2006 Jacob Cook Dispatch (Ocean City, Maryland) (May 26) “Resort Revisits Counting Flushes To Determine Visitor Numbers”: It was at that time the resort bought into a method using wastewater flows to track visitors. The method known as demoflush, a weighted average of sewage generation per visitor, helped estimate the number of people in town at a given time through average water usage.

Posted 26 May 06 | Permalink | Tell a Friend