Water Use

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Facilities can reduce water use though water conservation programs and process improvements. Water conservation improvements are possible not only in manufacturing processes, but also in a variety of facility operations such as plumbing and irrigation. The Performance Track program encourages applicants and members to report on improvements in the indicator and units of water use listed below.

Indicators	Units
Total Water Use	Gallons

In order to reduce water use, Performance Track members are:

recycling and reusing process water,
reducing demand for wash water (e.g., improving equipment design to reduce product buildup, resulting in less need for equipment cleaning and reduced water use and discharges to water),
reducing frequency of wash water changes,
reducing flow rates of process rinses,
reusing treated industrial wastewater to serve as coolant water, and
installing low-flow, water-efficient fixtures in facility restrooms.

View a table of common strategies used by Performance Track members to reduce water use (PDF) (1 pp, 132K)

Other examples of successful water conservation strategies include:

re-circulating water within a process or group of processes
using water sequentially based on quality requirements
maintaining equipment to prevent leaks
installing more efficient landscape irrigation systems
using natural filtration and storage services provided by watersheds and wetlands

Bottom-line benefits resulting from enhanced water management can include:

direct cost savings on water bills
cost savings through reduced energy requirements for heating, pumping, and treating water
lower sewer utility costs through reduced wastewater production
increased productivity and process efficiency through optimized production cycles

In some industries, initial investments in water conservation can pay for themselves in three years or less.

EPA and many non-governmental organizations, trade groups, and companies collect and share information on techniques and tools for improving a facility's water management practices. The links provided below highlight some sources of information.

Conversion and Contextual Factors for Water Use
Water Conservation
Water Measurement

Disclaimer: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) provides this information as a free and open service to the public. EPA does not endorse any company or product identified on this or any subsequent pages listed herein, and makes no claims regarding the accuracy, validity, or effectiveness of this or any other product or service represented by these data.

If you would like to suggest additional resources to feature on this website, please email a description of the site (including what topics the site addresses) and the URL to hamilton.luctrician@epa.gov.

Conversion and Contextual Factors for Water Use

Methods to convert non-standard measurement units into standard units, and methods to convert environmental improvements into commonly understood contexts, can be found in the links below:

Contextual factors (e.g. average water use for industries and households)

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) provides information on national trends in Industrial Water Use. For household use, the USGS provides a table that totals the domestic consumption of water by an individual per day (80 gallons per day), with a breakdown of various activities such as toilet flushing, dish washing, and bathing. The USGS also offers a website with calculations including estimates of water use per shower and water use per dishwashing load.

The American Water Works Association provides multiple contextual facts about water use as well as daily consumption information. The AWWA estimates a single person uses 100 gallons of water per day at home.

To put water use in context, pool volumes are presented in this table . For example, a decrease of 810,000 gallons of water is equivalent to the volume of an Olympic-size pool (50 meters long, 25 meters wide, 2 meters deep).

For additional contextual factors related to water use, the International Lake Environment Committee Foundation's (ILEC) World Lakes Database features key statistics such surface area and volume for major lakes throughout the world.

Water Conservation

EPA's WaterSense Program presents sector-specific suggestions for water conservation measures, guidelines for developing water conservation plans, and information on specific water conservation measures. See WaterSense publications on water efficiency for Industry and Commercial Businesses.

The WaterSense Product Database provides information on products that meet WaterSense criteria for water efficiency and performance.

GreenBiz Water Conservation outlines issues and problems associated with water use, presents case studies, lists benefits of water conservation, and provides suggestions for conservation measures.

Business for Social Responsibility shares water conservation techniques and tools through short case studies and reports.

Arizona Municipal Water User's Association's Facility Manager's Guide to Water Management serves as a detailed resource for assisting commercial, industrial, and institutional facilities to improve water-use efficiency in economically viable ways.

Waste Reduction Resource Center's (WRRC's) Water Efficiency section features a variety of publications, case studies, and fact sheets on water-efficiency programs, including sector-specific resources. Of particular relevance is the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources' Water Efficiency Manual for Commercial, Industrial, and Institutional Facilities (PDF, 1.95MB, 129pp) . Chapter 6 provides an auditing methodology and tools, including tips for sub-metering.

WaterWiser is a water efficiency clearinghouse run by the American Water Works Association in cooperation with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. The website provides useful information on services available for commercial and industrial users looking to implement conservation measures. The website also maintains a reference section with publications related to water conservation measures.

Virginia Cooperative Extension summarizes useful and easy approaches for conserving water through careful planning and evaluation of landscape-irrigation options and plant selection.

Water Measurement

The Global Reporting Initiative Water Protocol (PDF, 1MB, 48 pp) includes comprehensive measurement guidelines for a variety of water indicators, including total water use. Annexes 1, 2, and 3 provide a worksheet for estimating water balance, conversion factors, and a step-by-step guide to conducting a water audit.

Water Use

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