15 MOST COMMON DOMESTIC AND INDUSTRIAL WATER USES - ENVIRONMENT - 2025

Some of the main domestic and industrial uses of water are in the food industry, agriculture, livestock, electricity generation or showers and flushing toilets.

A large amount of water is used domestically by people. Generally, the greatest amount of water is consumed in flushing toilets, using washers when washing clothes, taking showers, taking baths, using the sink and in water spills.

Probably every manufactured product in the industry uses water at some point in its production process. Industrial water consumption includes water used for processes such as manufacturing, processing, washing, diluting, cooling, or transporting a product.

Some industries that use large amounts of water produce certain products such as food, paper, chemicals, refined petroleum, or primary metals.

Generally in the world agriculture represents 70% of water consumption, around 30% is used for industries and 10% is consumed in domestic uses.

However, these numbers may change in industrialized nations; industries consume more than half of the water available for human use.

Water use can be measured in many ways, including total water use, available drinking water, non-consumable water use, withdrawal of water use (from underground and surface sources), water footprint, etc.

List of domestic and industrial uses of water

1- Food industry

A large amount of water is needed to make the food that humans eat. The food we consume represents more than 2/3 of the total water footprint, mainly because of all the "virtual water" needed to produce food.

A loaf of bread takes about 240 gallons of water and a pound of cheese takes about 382 gallons. This means that a simple cheese sandwich takes about 56 gallons of water.

Meat has a larger water footprint than vegetables, grains, and legumes. Highly processed foods also require much more water than more natural products. The more meat, dairy and processed products consumed, the more water is also consumed.

2- Agriculture

Agriculture represents around 70% of the water used in the world today; it also contributes to water pollution from excess nutrients, pesticides, and other pollutants.

Efficient irrigation systems and good water management practices can help keep agriculture sustainable in an era of more expensive and limited water supplies.

The effectiveness of agricultural water conservation programs and environmental policy objectives may vary according to local hydrological conditions.

The type, size, and location of the irrigated farms, as well as the institutional and legal measures on the use of water also affect this area.

3- Restaurant industry

A typical restaurant can use 5,800 gallons of water a day. In addition to the water served to customers, water is also needed to make ice; likewise, they also need to wash dishes and cutlery constantly.

A fast food restaurant uses 1/3 to half the water that a regular restaurant uses.

4- Car wash

Car washes is a great example of an industry that uses gallons and gallons of water every day. People in developed countries use them frequently without taking into account all the water that is used in the process.

An estimated 50 to 100 gallons can be used per car. Even washing a car at home with a hose can use 50 to 150 gallons of water.

5- Hospital industry

The hotel industry uses large amounts of water. Much of this consumption is used to wash the sheets and towels in the hundreds of rooms in the establishments.

This consumption can reach 3,000 gallons per day; a large hotel with a restaurant, pool, and convention center may require up to 90,000 gallons per day.

Unfortunately, the hospitality industry does not have many options for rejecting its wash water as is the case in other industries.

6- Unload the toilet

Toilet flushes represent the largest use of water in ordinary homes; If the average person flushes the toilet five times a day, toilets account for 31% of all domestic water consumption. For this reason they represent a great opportunity for water conservation.

Using high-efficiency toilets and modifying household habits are a good way to save water when flushing the toilet.

7- Transportation of crude oil, oils and finished products

This process includes the transportation of crude oil and gas from the refineries, as well as the transportation of refined and finished products to end users. Transportation can be done by ship, truck, train or pipeline.

Water is usually used in natural liquid gas compression cooling and hydro-testing.

8- Emission control

Many thermoelectric power plants emit sulfur, mercury, carbon dioxide, and other pollutants; therefore, they require pollutant control technologies.

These technologies also require significant amounts of water to operate.

9- Showers

In the average home, showers typically rank third for water use, behind toilets and washing machines. On average, a shower uses 17 gallons of water and lasts about eight minutes.

To save water, you should take short showers of about five minutes. The tap should also be turned off when doing other activities, such as applying shampoo.

If you need to wait for the hot shower, it is a good idea to collect the water in a container to water the house plants or to refuse it.

10- wash clothes

Washing clothes uses a significant amount of water in the average home; It represents about 15% to 40% of the total water consumption in a household consisting of four members. It is estimated that 400 loads of laundry are made per year in each family.

Older washers use more gallons of water per load, about 40 to 45 gallons. For this reason, old washing machines should be replaced by highly efficient models that save water and energy.

Since washing machines come in different sizes and capacities, their efficiency is rated using the term "water factor" to compare water use.

11- Exploration for the production of oils, minerals and gas

This industry refers to oil or crude oil, as well as natural gas that is extracted from the ground by conventional methods.

Water is used for pressure maintenance, for drilling fluids, for construction, and in cooling for power generation.

Water is a critical resource for the drilling and exploitation of natural gas, coal, oil, and uranium. In many cases, fuel extraction also produces wastewater, as in natural gas and fuel wells and in liquid coal ponds.

The water used in these processes is not reused since it is usually mixed with hydrocarbons. This industry has a responsibility to protect the quality of water in the areas in which it operates.

12- Electricity generation

Most power plants need to cool down. These types of power plants are called thermoelectric plants because they use a heat source to produce steam and generate electricity.

Hydroelectric power plants use water in a different way, converting the energy from running water into electricity by passing it through turbines.

14- Dishwashing / Dishwasher

The average dishwasher uses about six gallons of water per cycle. A common tap carries water at about two gallons per minute.

For this reason, if a person can wash dishes by hand in that time, it can be more efficient than using a dishwasher.

If a dishwasher must be used, it is recommended that it be used only when a full cycle can be performed. This means that it should not be used when it is only half loaded with dirty dishes.

Less water and energy can be used when washing dishes by hand. In total, sinks account for 16% of water use in the average home.

15- Manufacturing industries

In most cases, manufacturing facilities and factories provide a great opportunity for water efficiency and conservation.

Depending on the industrial process, this sector usually contains the largest customers for water services.

The most common uses of water in manufacturing are: cooling, process uses, cleaning, employee sanitation, and steam generation. These five uses of water can be reflected in inefficiencies and waste.

There is great potential for water conservation for those who want to invest the effort and time to implement programs and efficiencies in this sector.

References

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