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Water Use Statistics
United States Water Use
The water use statistics below are from Handbook of Water Use and Conservation (Amy Vickers, 2001).
Statistics
The water use statistics below are from Handbook of Water Use and Conservation (Amy Vickers, 2001).
Statistics
- Approximately 346,800 million gallons per day (mgd) of freshwater and 61,200 mgd of saltwater were withdrawn in 2000 for use by the nation's homes, farms and industries.
- According to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the highest-consuming states in 2000 were:
- California - 51,200 mgd
- Texas - 29,600 mgd
- Florida - 20,100 mgd
- According to the USGS, the lowest-consuming states that year were:
- Alaska - 305 mgd
- Rhode Island - 429
- Vermont - 447 (USGS)
- Americans drink more than 1 billion glasses of tap water per day.
- On average, 50-70% of home water is used outdoors for watering lawns and gardens.
Use | Gallons Per Capita |
Percentage of Total Daily Use |
---|---|---|
Toilets |
18.5 | 26.7% |
Clothes washers |
15.0 | 21.7% |
Showers | 11.6 | 16.8% |
Faucets | 10.9 |
15.7% |
Leaks |
9.5 | 13.7 |
Other domestic uses |
1.6 | 2.2% |
Baths |
1.2 | 1.7% |
Dishwashers |
1.0 | 1.4% |
(Table source: Residential End Uses of Water, American Water Works Association Research Foundation, 1999)
By installing more efficient water fixtures and regularly checking for leaks, households can reduce daily per capita water use by about 35% to about 45.2 gallons per day. Here's how it breaks down for households using conservation measures:
By installing more efficient water fixtures and regularly checking for leaks, households can reduce daily per capita water use by about 35% to about 45.2 gallons per day. Here's how it breaks down for households using conservation measures:
Use | Gallons per Capita |
Percentage of Total Daily Use |
---|---|---|
Faucets | 10.8 |
23.9% |
Clothes washers |
10.0 | 22.1% |
Showers | 8.8 | 19.5% |
Toilets | 8.2 | 18.0% |
Leaks | 4.0 | 8.8% |
Other domestic uses |
1.6 | 3.4% |
Baths | 1.2 | 2.7% |
Dishwashers | 0.7 | 1.5% |
(Table source: Handbook of Water Use and Conservation, Amy Vickers, 2001)