2007 Water Use Survey Summary Estimates by City

I received the following information via email this morning. I thought it was worth posting on the blog.



I encourage you to take the time to read the text before clicking on the link to view the data.

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What is different about the 2007 Water Use Estimates?

For the first time, an estimate of residential water use per capita is included for some of the state’s cities. Residential water use is intended to reflect the water billed to single and multi-family residences, and includes both indoor and outdoor water uses. The remainder, non-residential water use, reflects the water used for all other purposes, primarily commercial (non-industrial) businesses and government institutions, and is a function of the size of the city’s workforce and the composition of its businesses, as well as the size of the resident population.

Why was residential water use not shown separately in previous years?

The history of the Water Use Survey was to develop estimates, for purposes of future water supply planning, of the total amount of water needed to support a city’s residents and its economy. Such an estimate was never intended to be used as a method of comparison between cities for the purpose of implying relative conservation efforts, because the estimate is particularly ill-suited for that purpose. However, with the growth of interest in conservation, it was clear that an estimate more suitable for comparison purposes should be developed. A series of changes was made in the Water Use Survey to begin requesting separate data on residential water use. For the 2007 estimates, it was determined that the residential water use estimates were of sufficient reliability for enough cities to begin publication. While there will remain valid reasons for differences between cities even in residential water use per capita, we hope that these new estimates will provide a more useful method with which to examine differences in habits regarding water use.

Why is residential water use not shown for some cities?

While the separate reporting of residential water use has been encouraged, it has not been required to consider a survey administratively complete. Many water systems are likely to lack the capability of tracking residential use separately, while others simply failed to report or reported an amount which was inconsistent with their reported total water use and generated an estimate of residential GPCD which was considered too unreliable to publish. TWDB staff will be working with those major cities for which residential use was not published in an effort to correct these problems.


2007 Water Use Survey
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For more information:

Dan Hardin Kevin Kluge
Director, Water Resource Planning Team Lead Water Use Surveys & Estimates
(512) 936-0880 (512) 936-0829
dan.hardin@twdb.state.tx.us kevin.kluge@twdb.state.tx.us