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Residential End Uses of Water, <br />Version 2: Executive Report <br />Single-family homes typically use the most water of any utility customer <br />sector. The 23 utilities studied show a decline of 22 percent in average <br />annual indoor household water use since WRF's landmark 1999 study. <br />Water providers should consider lower household water use when <br />making future plans. <br />ntroduction <br />It is essential for water providers and the urban water supply <br />industry to have a detailed understanding of how water is used <br />in residential settings. While water use in homes was studied as <br />early as the 1940s, interest intensified after the Energy Policy Act <br />of 1992, which sought to improve energy and water efficiency. <br />This Act established maximum flow rates for new residential <br />toilets, showerheads, and faucets. Later federal regulations <br />included clothes washers. Water efficiency in homes has also been <br />encouraged by programs like EPA's WaterSense. <br />22% ► a� <br />DECREASE <br />1999-2016 <br />Average annual indoor household <br />water use <br />......................................................... <br />Until now, the most significant residential end use study conducted in North America was the Water <br />Research Foundations 1999 report Residential End Uses of Water (REU1999) (Mayer of al. 1999). WRF's new <br />report Residential End Uses of Water, Version 2 (REU2016) (DeOreo of al. 2016), provides an updated and <br />expanded assessment of water use. It includes more varied study site locations, hot water usage data, more <br />detailed landscape analysis, and additional water rate analysis. <br />The new study identifies variations in water use by each fixture or appliance, providing detailed information <br />and data on changes since the REU1999 study. Looking to the future, the study's research evaluates <br />conservation potential, and includes predictive models to forecast residential demand. <br />The decline in water use across the residential sector, even as populations increase, poses new challenges <br />for water utilities. Information on single family home water consumption is significant for utility rate and <br />revenue projections, capital planning (water supply and infrastructure needs), daily operations to provide <br />water, water efficiency programs, and more. <br />RESIDENTIAL END USESOF WATER, VERSION 2: EXECUTIVE REPORT 1 3 <br />