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Water fact of the day
It is a little known fact that the United States today uses far less water per person, and less water in total, than we did twenty-five years ago.
That is water expert Peter Gleick, quoted in the excellent article "The Last Drop," (not on-line), from the 23 October The New Yorker.
Posted by Tyler Cowen on October 19, 2006 at 05:44 PM in Data Source | Permalink
Comments
I worked for Dr. Gleick for a summer. He's awesome.
Posted by: Megan at Oct 19, 2006 5:46:45 PM
I strongly second the merits of the article. However, you have cited one of the few encouraging facts that it presents.
Posted by: Bill Gardner at Oct 19, 2006 7:00:15 PM
yeah, moving production of food to other countries has saved water
Posted by: Alan Brown at Oct 19, 2006 7:05:40 PM
Alan is certainly correct. This EPA page (citing data from 1990) says that 81% of water consumption is irrigation while only 6% is domestic use.
Here is a press release from Gleick's institute citing the statistic with more context. Water use is down to 1500 gallons per capita per day from the peak in the '70s of nearly 2000. Needless to say, your low-flow toilet is not making the difference there.
Posted by: neil at Oct 19, 2006 10:30:14 PM
One word: low flow toilets.
Posted by: Brad Hutchings at Oct 20, 2006 12:49:46 AM
I found an interesting report a while back (pdf warning):
WATER-ENERGY RELATIONSHIP, by the California Energy Commission
It may be true as posters above note that we have exported a lot of agriculture, but this paper seems to tell me (shallow reader that I am) that we can continue a progressive movement to drip irrigation at a net win on both power and energy.
(admission: I have a low flow showerhead)
Posted by: odograph at Oct 20, 2006 10:03:46 AM
Oh, sorry to double post ... but my local water company is offering a $100 rebate right now on water-efficient washing machines. I plan on taking advantage, and replacing my old (increasingly noisy) machine:
http://www.mwdoc.com/residential_efficiency.htm
(after i find the offer on-line I see that they are subsidizing those toilets as well.)
Posted by: odograph at Oct 20, 2006 10:08:04 AM
I was under the impression that residential water consumption reductions were also aimed at reducing the load on the back end of the water system, the sewage treatment plant. If not, we'd see a lot more emphasis on eliminating outdoor water use.
Posted by: Paul Dietz at Oct 20, 2006 11:16:58 AM
Paul, here in Colorado we have been suffering drought conditions of varying severity the last few years, and almost all water-conservation measures have focused on outdoor water use, e.g. limiting lawn watering. Other than penalties for total water usage exceeding a certain (arbitrary) amount, nothing has been directed at indoor use other than possibly subsidies as odograph mentioned.
My theory has always been that this is due to observability rather than effectiveness. Of course, the most effective measure would simply be to price water at something other than a nonsensically low flat rate, but that is politically infeasible.
Posted by: Noah Yetter at Oct 20, 2006 3:26:06 PM
Unfortunately, it has also reduced people's enjoyment of water as well. The one-hammer-fits-all has broken all those nice old five-gallon flush toilets which actually successfully flushed. Here in the wet northeast, conserving water has been a poor bargain.
Excuse me, I have to go plunge the toilet again, because 1.5 gallons of water doesn't actually flush the waste.
Posted by: Russell Nelson at Oct 21, 2006 2:10:22 AM
I liked the toilets they have in Australia - you can choose between a light flush or a heavy flush, depending on need. Much better than a light flush no matter what.
Posted by: Sean at Oct 21, 2006 3:04:23 AM
In most rural areas people are not on the city water system so they drill wells. Wells are drilled hundreds of feet down to the water table and produce an insurmountable amount of water (most of the time). Therefore we never have a shortage and use whatever amount is necessary, even if we have to flush our 1.5 gal toilets twice. The water that is used at my house has reduced, but not from trying to conserve water. It has been reduced to save on the electric bill because of a 220V pump inside the well.
Posted by: wbg at Oct 25, 2006 2:53:39 PM
There are many reasons why this is true. Toilets that are made now by law can use no more than 1.6 gallons per flush. We have also started depending on other countries for items like food that uses alot of water to produce. Together these eliminate much of water used in the lives of people today.
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