Event Description

As the largest water-using customer segment in North America, the residential sector plays a critical role in overall demand. This presentation will describe the results from The Water Research Foundation's (WRF) 2026 Residential End Uses of Water, Version 3: A Single-Family and Multi-Family Study (project 5242), a comprehensive update to its landmark 1999 and 2016 studies. Together, these three studies provide a 30-year view of residential water use across North America, showing steady and significant gains in efficiency over time. This latest study confirms that, over the past three decades, indoor residential water use has become substantially more efficient—demonstrating the long-term impact of technology improvements, standards, and conservation efforts.

The study finds that water use in single-family homes has declined notably, particularly over the past decade, driven largely by reductions in indoor use.

Let's discuss how efficiency improvements in household fixtures and appliances continue to drive these trends, like going over examples of how clothes washers, in particular, have become significantly more efficient due to evolving federal energy standards.

The major finding from this research will be presented by the lead author.

Lessons Learned - 

1. Understand that efficient residential water use significantly contributes to public health by ensuring access to clean water while reducing the risk of contaminants in indoor environments.  

  2. Analyze the importance of water-saving technologies in residential settings, as they enhance safety by preventing plumbing failures and leaks that can result in hazardous conditions.  

3. Introduce community awareness programs focused on water conservation practices to promote social welfare and encourage collective responsibility towards sustainable water use.  

4. Articulate the long-term benefits of efficient water use in households as essential for fostering environmental sustainability, thus supporting a resilient and equitable society.

Note - Even if you cannot attend, please register so we can send you the recording and follow-up article.