Ryan Harms’ Water
Consumption in
Alaska
How living in a “dry” cabin saves
money and resources.
Living without Running WaterAccording to the American Water Works
Association, the average American household
consumes 69.7 gallons of water/person each
day. *
Source: The American
Water Works
Association
I set out to answer
one simple question:
How much less water
do I use than the
“average” American
household?
I set out to answer one simple question:
How much less water do I consume
Than the “average” American
Household?
Some Important Factors to
ConsiderAn “average” American household is assumed
to have these amenities:
I live in a “dry”
cabin…
…and have
none of these.
Average American Household Daily Per Capita Water Consumption by
Gallons and Percentage
Toilets---18.5
Clothes Washers--15
Showers---11.6
Faucets---10.9
Leaks---9.5
Baths---1.2
Dishwasers---1.0
Other Domestic Use---1.6
Source: American Water Works Association
You May Have Noticed
Something About the Big 3 Toilets account for
more than one
quarter of all water
used by the average
American each day.
That’s a lot of waste!
Imagine all the water that could be saved if everyone followed
“if it’s yellow, let it mellow, if it’s brown, flush it down.”
My Personal Water
Consumption Habits November 9-16, 2009.
Total water used: 49.5 gallons.
Leaves me wondering…
How is it possible that by average, every
man, woman, and child in America consumes
69.7 gallons a day, when I do not consume that
much water in a week?
What are people doing out there?
Possible Explanations for the
High Average in America
The average household resident is assumed to have the “amenities,” so is possibly not at all conscious of the amount of water they waste.
Many people live in water abundant places and simply don’t think of the cost associated with simple water services.
What I learned about water
prices! Here in Healy, the minimum cost of having
a well at your own home is approximately
$6,000.
It’s likely to cost more than $10,000.
Source: Aurora Drilling, Fairbanks.
Some Questions I’m Still
Asking Myself
How much does the average city dweller
pay for city water services?
How many showers and loads of laundry
could I get at Chevron for $10,000.
What is the dollar amount ascribed to one
gallon of potable water, worldwide, if such
a number exists?
Thoughts for the Future
Water conservation begins at home:
there’s no time like right now to begin
paying attention.
International efforts are being made to
bring about greater awareness for the
need to conserve water worldwide.
For more details.
Resources
American Water Works Association www.drinktap.org/
Aurora Drilling. Fairbanks, AK. (907) 456-6712
Telephone Interview with customer Service
Stockholm International Water Institute www.siwi.org/