Fact Sheet - How much water do we use in our homes?

3. How Much Drinking Water Do We Use In Our Homes?

Of the "drinking water" supplied by public water systems, only a small portion is actually used for drinking. As residential water consumers, we use most water for other purposes, such as toilet flushing, bathing, cooking, cleaning, and lawn watering.
The amount of water we use in our homes varies during the day:

Lowest rate of use - 23:30 to 5:00
Sharp rise/high use - 5:00 to 12:00. (Peak hourly use from 7:00 to 8:00)
Moderate use - 12:00 to 17:00 (Lull around 15:00)
Increasing evening use - 17:00 to 23:00 p.m. (Second minor peak, 18:00 to 20:00)

I've Heard That Households In The U.S. Use A Lot Of Water Compared To Other Countries. Is That True?

Yes. The United States uses more water than other countries, even those that are equally well developed. In the United States, significant amounts of water are used for lawn and garden sprinkling, automobile washing, and kitchen and laundry appliances, such as garbage disposals, clothes washers, and automatic dish washers.

Water Use In Different Countries
Country	Annual Water Use per Capita (Gallons)	Percentage of Total Water Use by Category
Country	Annual Water Use per Capita (Gallons)	Residential	Industry/Agriculture*
United States	525,000	10	90
Lithuania	337,000 (1,275,000 liters)	3 (i.e. 3,825 liters)	97
Canada	310,000	13	87
Belgium	221,000	6	94
India	132,000	3	97
China	122,000	6	94
Poland	112,000	14	86
Nicaragua	72,000	18	82
Malta	16,000	100	0
*Includes water used for electrical power and for cooling.
Source: Van Der Leeden, F., F.L. Troise, and D.K. Todd. The Water Encyclopedia, Lewis Publishers, Inc., Second Edition, 1990.

We use tap water for various purposes. A typical family of four on a public water supply uses about 1300 liters per day at home. In contrast, a typical household that gets its water from a private well or cistern uses about 750 liters for a family of four. In our communities an additional 130 liters of water per person are used for public activities such as fire fighting, street washing, and park maintenance.

Commercial and industrial businesses may also place heavy demands on public water supplies in developed countries. In most water supply systems, the predominant number of user connections are residences, but the few connections to nonresidential customers may account for a significant portion of the system-wide water use.

How Do Water Utilities Ensure Adequate Drinking Water Supplies?

Water utilities forecast water source availability, growth in population, and water demand to ensure adequate future water supplies during normal conditions and periods of drought. When water shortages are predicted or experienced, water utilities have many options for conserving water. Temporary cutbacks or permanent operating adjustments can help conserve water. Permanent conservation measures may include:

Subsidizing use of water-efficient faucets, toilets, and showerheads
Public education and voluntary use reduction
Billing practices that impose higher rates for higher amounts of water use
Building codes that require water-efficient fixtures or appliances
Leak detection surveys and meter testing, repair, and replacement
Reduction in use and increase in recycling of industrial water

Temporary cutbacks may include:

Reduction of system-wide operating pressure
Water use bans, restrictions, and rationing

How Can I Reduce The Amount Of Drinking Water I Use?

There are many ways to conserve water that result in significant reductions. For example, residential water consumption can be reduced by using water-efficient fixtures (faucets, toilets, and showerheads) and appliances, and through better managed lawn watering. The graphic at the lower left shows the relative effectiveness of residential techniques used to reduce water use. Possible water savings are indicated as a percentage of total interior water use for conservation methods such as low-water use toilets, water-efficient faucets, and low-water use appliances.

Can Business Also Reduce Water Use?

Water can be conserved in the industrial and commercial sectors through recycling and waste reduction. Industry has implemented conservation measures to comply with state and federal water pollution controls. Evaluation of industrial plant data may show that a particular process or manufacturing step uses the most water or causes the greatest contamination. Such areas can be targeted for water conservation, thus saving on plant-wide water use. Also, water that is contaminated by one process may be usable in other plant processes that do not require high-quality water.

Adapted From:
EPA 815-K-97-002
Water On Tap
July 1997

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