Flume 2022 Residential Water Use Index Explores Demand Trends

Flume Data Labs Analyzes Compliance with Weekly Watering Rules in San Antonio

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif., Feb. 9, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Flume Data Labs released the 2022 update to the 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 from single-family homes in the largest 15 Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs). Analysis is based on data from tens of thousands of Flume sensors installed on household water meters across the nation.

Indoor and Outdoor Per Capita Water Use

During 2022, the median residential indoor use in the 15 largest MSAs was 41 Gallons per Capita per Day (GPCD). Regionally, the range of indoor water use varied by area. The Phoenix Metro Area consistently had the highest indoor use and in Q4 2022 averaged 50.9 GPCD. The Boston metro area had the lowest indoor use and averaged 33.6 GPCD in Q4 2022.

The Flume Index shows substantial variability in outdoor use by region throughout 2022 largely driven by weather. Average outdoor Gallons per Household per Day (GPHD) was highest during an unseasonably hot July 2022 in the Dallas, Texas MSA. The Seattle, Washington MSA had among the lowest outdoor water use during the winter months, but use increased above the national median during August.

Measuring Drought Response In San Antonio

As hot weather conditions increase outdoor water use, many communities have responded with water use restrictions. In San Antonio, Texas weekly watering rules that restrict automatic irrigation to just one day per week are often used to ensure aquifer levels remain stable. Across Texas, 2022 was particularly hot and dry and water managers of the San Antonio Water System (SAWS) were required to increase drought messaging and enforcement.

SAWS's own monthly meter data was useful in assessing overall water demand, but the monthly time-step proved insufficient for understanding if customers were complying with the weekly watering rules. To better understand compliance with water rules, SAWS worked with Flume Data Labs to compare outdoor use in 2021 and 2022, evaluate compliance with watering rules under changing weather conditions, and determine the impact of compliance on water consumption.

The Flume analysis found that compliance with watering rules was substantially lower during the hot and dry summer of 2022, despite SAWS efforts to increase messaging and enforcement. Customers responded promptly to changes in the weather including decreasing consumption around rain events.

Flume also found that a small number of non-compliant customers used a disproportionate volume of water. The top 6% of residential customers in this study used 21% of water whereas the bottom 52% of customers used 23% of water.

"Flume's high-resolution data was useful for understanding outdoor demand trends in San Antonio in a way that simply wasn't possible with monthly billing data," said Peter Mayer, P.E., Principal of WaterDM. "Flume data provided additional understanding that non-compliant households dominated outdoor water demand in 2022. The results show that weather is the major factor in people's choices about compliance week to week."

To view an interactive dashboard showing this data and to learn more about the Flume Data Labs Household Water Use Index, 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.