NewMexiKen found these “Water Usage Facts” (from my utility company) somewhat interesting:
- A normal shower uses approximately 25 gallons of water.
- Brushing your teeth uses approximately 10 gallons of water.
- Tub bath uses approximately 36 gallons of water.
- Shaving uses approximately 20 gallons of water.
- Dish washing uses approximately 30 gallons of water. (tap running)
- Automatic dishwasher uses approximately 16 gallons of water per cycle.
- Washing your hands uses approximately 2 gallons of water.
- Flushing the toilet uses 5-7 gallons per flush.
- A normal washing machine cycle uses 60 gallons of water.
- Outdoor watering uses about 10 gallons per minute.
How can brushing teeth use 10 gallons of water? How can washing hands take 2 gallons? How obsessive are these people in scrubbing scrubbing scrubbing?
Most of these figures seem inflated. Perhaps they are worst-case numbers? The utility has to plan for capacity somehow. But how ignorant is it to leave the water running full blast the entire time one is brushing or shaving? And how many people still have toilets that use 5-7 gallons per flush?
(From http://www.toiletology.com/low-flow.shtml)
“Before the 1950s, toilets typically used 7 gallons or more for each flush. By the end of the 1960s, toilets were designed to flush with only 5.5 gallons, and in the 1980s the new toilets being installed were using only 3.5 gallons. Today, a new toilet uses no more than 1.6 gallons of water.”
I know you didn’t claim to believe the numbers you posted. And they are interesting. For instance, will the water utility (is this NMU?) claim to need the capacity to support this kind of usage from all of ABQ’s 1/2 million citizens in the future? If so, isn’t that excessive? Also, I have seen claims that up to 70% of the water usage in the ABQ area is actually due to agriculture. If those figures are based upon comparison to the “average” consumer use rates you quote here, isn’t it possible that agricultural usage completely swamps residential usage; thus, the water restrictions recently imposed would have almost no effect (I wonder about their effectiveness anyway.)
I have an electric tooth brush and so don’t run water while I brush. Just enough water to rinse the toothbrush before and after.
I shave in the shower or with an electric razor. No extra water.
My clothes washer claims to use less than 30 gallons, not 60.
My dishwasher claims to use less than 5 gallons, not 16.
I confess to wasting water while I wait for it to get hot (i.e., for it to get to the faucet from the hot water heater).
I just thought the list was interesting.
The utility is private and not under the current Bernalillo County restrictions, though they told me we (the customers) are currently doing well at conserving.