Average daily water consumption for single-family housing units
Access to an adequate supply of water is paramount to life and health. Water is required for everyday activities such as individual consumption, recreation, agriculture and industry. Reducing water consumption saves money for households and reduces demand on the water supply. Equally important, reducing water consumption also reduces energy consumption, as it takes energy to pump, heat, treat and deliver water. Small daily behavior changes and household improvements can have large impacts on water consumption. Strategies to reduce household water use include installing low-flow fixtures and water-saving appliances, fixing water leaks, turning off the tap while brushing teeth or washing dishes, and creating a water-smart lawn and landscape.
Average single-family household daily water consumption decreased from 177 gallons per day in 2010 to 152 gallons per day in 2020. According to an analysis from Sustain Charlotte, household monthly water consumption in gallons decreased from 7,181 in 2003 to 5,236 in 2012, an average annual decrease of 3%.
Nationwide, lawn watering and landscape irrigation is estimated to account for nearly one-third of all residential water use, totaling nearly 9 billion gallons per day. The average family can waste 180 gallons per week or 9,400 gallons of water annually, from household leaks. That is the equivalent to the amount of water needed to wash more than 300 loads of laundry. North Carolina State University developed the Turf Irrigation Management System (TIMS) that uses current weather data to identify the optimum amount of time to water a lawn, in minutes per day.
Single-Family Housing
Energy Consumption - Electricity
Energy Consumption - Natural Gas
Residential Solid Waste
Residential Recycling
Impervious Surface
Adopt-a-Stream Participation
Total annual residential water consumption in hundred cubic feet (CCF), multiplied by 748 to convert to gallons, divided by 365, divided by the number of residential accounts for single-family housing units.
Areas with fewer than 10 accounts are suppressed and represented as N/A. The data do not include multi-family structures utilizing a single meter, irrigation meters, homes on well water or non-residential structures.
Source: Charlotte Water
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| Charlotte Explorer | Learn about Charlotte, its operations and its changing landscape. |
| Conserve Water | Learn how to conserve water throughout a home and garden. |
| Neighborhood Matching Grants | Curb water use, protect natural environments, and strengthen community with grants for neighborhood-wide sustainability initiatives in City of Charlotte neighborhoods. |
| EPA WaterSense Program | Save water and protect the environment by choosing WaterSense labeled products in your home, yard, and business and taking simple steps to save water each day. |
| Water Smart Landscaping Guide | Using landscaping to optimize drainage and curb appeal at the same time (PDF Download). |
| Learn More | |
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| Water Use in the U.S. | Data on the nation's water use from the U.S. Geological Survey, including categories of use and trends since 1950. |
| County Water Use Map | Map of water withdrawals by use for counties across the nation. |
| Current Rates | Read more about how Charlotte-Mecklenburg Utilities determines water and sewer rates and fees. |
| Sustainability Report Card | Learn more about efforts to promote sustainability in Charlotte-Mecklenburg. |
| Water Towers | Photo gallery of water towers in the Charlotte region. |