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| Facts about Residential Water Use |
How Much Water Do I Use? Many customers ask the question "how much water does the average person use each day?" The answer to this question, of course, requires a definition of the "average person". In general, per capita water use ranges from about 40 to 80 gallons per day (gpd) in the eastern United States. In order to understand the several ways in which each person uses water, we have prepared the following detailed chart:
Type of Use Usage Per Person (gpd)
Shower/tub 15-25 Sink 3-5 Toilet 5-15 Washing Clothes 10-15 Washing Dishes, Etc. 5-10 Cooking 1-2 Miscellaneous 1-3 TOTAL 40-80 It should be noted that certain customers will use more or less than these average values.
In addition to these types of in-house usage, the outside uses of water such as washing of cars, walks, driveways, lawn sprinkling, and irrigation, etc., varies considerably.
For example, a 5/8" hose will normally discharge at a rate of about 3 to 5 gallons per minute. The use of an outside hose for 30-minutes, would consume 90 to 150 gallons or double the use of water within the home during 24 hours.
The following list sets forth the average uses of certain appliances and fixtures found within the home:
Type of Fixture Usage.
Washing Machine 25-40 gal. Dishwasher 15-30 gal. Bathtub 25-35 gal. Toilet 1.5-6 gal. Shower 3-5 gal. Per minute Sink Faucet 2-3 gal. Per minute Outside Faucet 3-5 gal. Per minute How Can I Check My Water Usage?
In order to determine your average daily use or to check your appliance usage, you can read your meter on an hourly, daily or weekly basis. Simply record your meter reading at the beginning of a measurement period. The difference between these two meter readings will be the water used during the period. Note that your water meter reading is in cubic feet and can be readily converted to gallons by the factor of 7.5 gallons in each cubic foot. This audit will provide useful information as to your appliance usage and your water use habits.
Water Use Audit (example)
Date Time Meter reading (cubic feet) 5-2 8 pm 105023 5-9 8 pm 105223 Difference: 7 Days = 200 cubic feet
Convert to Gallons x 7.5 gallons/cubic feet Total = 1,500 gallons Divide by 7 days Daily Use = 214 gallons Number of Users – 3 Average Daily Usage Per Person – 71 gallons
Contact Me
109 N. Main St.
Oneida, NY 13421
Phone: (315) 363-1490
E-Mail:
asmolinski@oneidacity.com
Arthur Smolinski, Water Superintendant