Could you use 140,000 gallons of water in a month?
June 30, 2009

The water agency serving Washington, DC, sent a bill in March to a 99-year-old homeowner for $1,181, saying that she used almost 140,000 gallons of water in a month. Even after testing the meter, the officials say the bill was correct, though it's hard to imagine what kind of leak the homeowner is missing. The average household water use in the US is just 127,400 gallons per year -- so, somehow, the DC homeowner in question is losing more in leaks or some other missed usage every month than most households use in a year. Instances such as this one serve as a reminder just how little attention most people pay to their household water use from municipal water systems. It's only when something goes terribly wrong that most people even notice at all.

June 2009
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last revised June 2009