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Municipal Water:
What is It and What is It Used For?We’re all aware that Maryland is in the midst of one of the worst droughts in recorded history and that municipal water supplies are extremely low. But just what is municipal water, where does it come from, who uses it and where does it go?
Water in the Washington and Baltimore metropolitan areas is removed from the Potomac River, the Susquehanna River and several reservoirs. It is used for a variety of purposes and is categorized accordingly:
- Domestic water: Used in residences, institutional facilities such as hospitals and schools, and recreational facilities, such as movie theaters and amusement parks. Specific uses of such water include bathing, washing dishes and clothes, flushing toilets, watering lawns, washing cars, and preparing food. This water is very clean and treated to remove pathogens.
- Industrial water: Used in such businesses as canneries, breweries and chemical plants. As with domestic water, this water is processed at municipal water purification plants.
- Commercial water: Used at non-industrial places of work, primarily for sanitary purposes. This water may or may not be treated.
- Service water: Used for such purposes as fire fighting; irrigation of parks, athletic fields and other public lands; and maintenance of water supply lines.
The following table was compiled from several sources by Dr. Gary Felton, Maryland Cooperative Extension water quality specialist in the Department of Biological Resources Engineering in the University of Maryland College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. It provides estimates of how much water is used for specific uses.
Source % of Total Amount Used
(gal/person/day)Average % of Total Average Amount Used
(gal/person/day)Domestic 36-44 40-130 40.2 62.5 Industrial 40-43 10-300 41.5 70 Commercial 15 26 15 26 Service 6-9 15-25 7.5 15.3 System Losses 8-40 8-25 11.5 19.4 Although the ranges for some uses are wide, reflecting variations among systems in different areas of the state, they clearly indicate that residential use accounts for a significant amount of water consumption.
For more information contact:
Dr. Gary Felton, (301) 405-8039; gf36@umail.umd.edu
Pam Townsend, (301) 405-4595; pt17@umail.umd.edu
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