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How do we use it?
Domestic
 Canada
- In 2004, 25.7 million Canadians (90.6%) received central water services and 25.2 million (88.7%) were connected to central sanitation services. The remaining Canadian population consists mainly of rural residents who mostly use self-supply water services and individual sanitation services.
- Almost 9 million, or 30.3% of all Canadians, rely of groundwater for domestic use. Approximately two-thirds, or 5 million, of these users live in rural areas.
What you see may not be what you get [472 Kb]
- In 1996, over 40% of Canada's municipal water systems were reliant on groundwater.
- In 2004, the average residential daily flow of water was 8.3 million m3, with almost 1 million m3 (18%) coming from groundwater.
- In 2004, the average daily freshwater domestic use per capita was 329 litres, of which 35% is for bathing, 25% for laundry and cleaning, 30% for toilet flushing, and 10% for cooking and drinking.
Canada's watery lifestyle [133 Kb]
Water uses
| Use |
Amount |
| Toilet flush | 15-19 L |
| Shower (5 minute) | 100 L |
| Tub bath | 60 L |
| Hand washing (with tap running) | 8 L |
| Teeth brushing (with tap running) | 10 L |
| Outdoor watering | 35 L/min |
| Automatic dishwashing | 40 L |
| Dishwashing by hand | 35 L |
| Washing machine | 225 L |
- In 2004, total Canadian household use was estimated at 8.3 billion litres per day, enough to fill 91 000 rail tank cars.
- In 2004, Canadians charged prices based on the volume of water used had a consumption level of 266 litres per person per day. Those paying flat rates used 467 litres per person per day, or 76% more water.
- In 2004, 63% of the municipal population had water meters.
- In 2004, over 30% of residential customers were charged a flat rate for water, providing no conservation incentive.<
- According to Statistics Canada, in 2005, 60% of Canadian households reported having a water-saving showerhead and 41% a water-saving toilet – a significant increase from 1994, when 42% reported having a water-saving showerhead and only 15% had a low-volume toilet.
- In 1993, Ontario became the first province to introduce plumbing codes that require all toilets, showerheads, and faucets in new buildings to be water conserving.
- In 2005, almost 3 in 10 Canadian households drank primarily bottled water as opposed to tap water, regardless of whether municipal water supply was provided.
- In 2005, 14% of Canadian households had rain barrels or cisterns while 24% of households had a timer attached to their sprinkler when they watered their gardens.
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Global
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