Each year the average American uses about 27,000 gallons of water around the home, according to the 1998 Residential Water Use Summary commissioned by American Water Works Association (AWWA). According to the study, each person in a single-family home uses 74.0 gallons per day.
Water suppliers in the U.S. already process nearly 34 billion gallons of water daily. As the population continues to grow, saving more water could offset the demands created by that growth. This in turn can help communities avoid the expenses of building new water supply and treatment facilities.
By employing water conservation measures like low-flow fixtures and regularly checking for and repairing leaks, daily use can be cut by about 30 percent, down to 51.9 gallons per person. A household can cut water usage for showers by 2.1 gallons per person per day by installing low-flow shower nozzles. This amounts to more than 766 gallons per person per year. Low-flow fixtures installed in homes constructed in 1998 will save an estimated 44 million gallons of water a day. This amounts to a national annual savings of about $33.6 million each year, according to AWWA.
During the growing season, as much as 65 percent of a households total water is used outdoors. According to nationally known gardener Paul James, outdoor water conservation can be as simple as watering earlier in the day and using sprinklers that distribute droplets of water instead of mists. Water sensors for automatic sprinkler systems prevent watering during rainfall events or when the soil is still wet.
Collecting rainwater from downspouts for watering gardens later and mulching gardens also reduce outdoor water use. Conserving water for car washing means using a bucket and a sponge to soap the car, instead of leaving the water running.
"By installing low-flow water fixtures and taking other steps to conserve water, consumers do a favor for themselves," said Jack Hoffbuhr, AWWA executive director.
Other conservation measures include running the dishwasher only when it is full. In clothes washers with adjustable water levels, small loads can be run on low. Routinely checking plumbing, and immediately repairing leaking faucets, toilets and other leaks can save almost 5 gallons of water per person per day.
Public education programs can inform users on water saving measures and provide opportunities to learn how to identify and to fix leaks.
Combined, these measures may save each household only $100 per year. Magnified systemwide, the savings can be significant for operators in terms of reduced chemicals usage and energy saved, the AWWA said.
