Flume Data Labs Household Water Use Index Identifies Outdoor Use Reductions in the Colorado River Basin

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Nov 03, 2022, 09:00 ET

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif., Nov. 3, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Flume Data Labs released the Q3 2022 Household Water Use Index, the leading measure of U.S. household water use. Flume Data Labs publishes the Household Water Use Index quarterly, regularly assessing water use across the 15 most populous Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs). This analysis is based on data from tens of thousands of sensors installed on household water meters across the nation, as shown on the map below.

Outdoor Water Use in Colorado River Basin States

Distribution of active Flume Sensors as of September 30, 2022

For over 20 years, an extended mega-drought has severely impacted the Colorado River Basin and much of the west. On the Colorado River, Lake Powell and Lake Mead have fallen to critically low levels this year, causing water utilities across the west to seek demand reductions and implement outdoor water use restrictions.

Flume is uniquely positioned to monitor indoor and outdoor residential water use in the Colorado River Basin states with sensors installed in tens of thousands of households throughout California, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, and Colorado.

Analysis from Flume Data Labs shows water users in Colorado River-dependent states reduced outdoor water use in 2022. Average outdoor Gallons per Household per Day (GPHD) in the Colorado Basin States was lower in the summer of 2022 than in 2021, even as temperatures increased. In Q3 2022, average outdoor water use in Colorado River Basin states was 296.4 GPHD, a reduction of 10% compared to Q3 2021.

Still, even with these reductions, outdoor water use in Colorado River Basin states is often higher than in other parts of the US as places like Arizona, southern Nevada, and California experience year-round outdoor watering.

In the rest of the nation, average outdoor use increased in 2022 vs 2021. Average outdoor water use in states that do not rely on the Colorado River increased by 33% from Q3 2021 to 240.3 GPHD in Q3 2022.

"Water users in Arizona and California in particular appear to have responded to calls for outdoor use reductions in 2022," said Peter Mayer, P.E., Principal of WaterDM, an expert consultant to the water industry for more than 25 years. "But considering what will be required to stabilize the Colorado River, there is still much room to reduce and optimize residential outdoor use."

Indoor Per Capita Water Use

National indoor water use in Q3 2022 averaged 41.8 Gallons per Capita per Day (GPCD) in Q3 2022.

Regionally, indoor water use varied in Q3 2022 from a high of 50.4 GPCD in the Riverside, CA MSA to a low of 36.7 GPCD in the Atlanta, GA MSA. Indoor water has remained steady for several quarters and any lingering impacts of increased indoor residential use due to COVID appear to be over.

Outdoor Per Household Water Use

Nationally, outdoor water use in Q3 2022 increased compared to that of Q3 2021. Outdoor Household Water Use averaged 276.1 GPHD in Q3 2022. In Q3 2021, outdoor use averaged 246.6 GPHD.

To learn more about the Flume Data Labs Household Water Use Index and the data shared here, visit Flume Data Labs at www.flumedatalabs.com or contact us at [email protected].

About Flume Data Labs

Flume Data Labs understands the unique challenges faced by organizations that touch water. Flume Data Labs uses real-time data monitoring to collect and understand how residential water is used. Utilizing a nationwide network of data sensors and one-of-a-kind analysis, Flume Data Labs provides a dynamic informed response to changing conditions and local challenges. To date, Flume Data Labs has tens of thousands of devices installed across the United States. Visit us at www.flumedatalabs.com or contact us at [email protected] to learn more.

SOURCE Flume, Inc.