If you visited Chandler City Hall in May you may have seen the towering water display in the lobby. A 16-foot tall pyramid was built with 120 one-gallon water jugs to represent the typical amount of water used each day by each person here in the Valley. Some people viewing the pyramid for the first time are skeptical that they use that much water at their home each day. Since it is based on average water use, they may be right. But, they could actually be using much more, too.
There is a simple way to check how much water you and your family use each day at home. First, find a recent Chandler utility bill. Then, fill in the numbers in the chart below and do the math to see how your water use stacks up. The formula is the total number of gallons used for the billing cycle, divided by the number of people in your household, divided by the number of days in the billing cycle. That total will be the number of gallons used by each person each day in your household.
Comment with your monthly water use on the Wayne Drop post on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or Nextdoor. The first two commenters on each platform will win a Wayne Drop plush.
How does your household total stack up?
If you use between 30 and 80 gallons per day you are doing an “excellent” job of using water wisely. Between 81 and 130 gallons is a “good” effort, while you are only doing a “fair” job is you use between 131 and 150 gallons per day per person. If your use is more than 151 gallons you should consider some changes in your water use, such as checking your outdoor irrigation system for leaks or reducing watering times and amounts to match the season.
There also are several ways to reduce your indoor water use, and Chandler’s Water Conservation Office is ready to help guide you; visit Water Conservation Education & Resources for details.