- How much water does a person use each day?
- What are those colored lines I see painted on the sidewalk or on the roadway?
How much water does a person use each day?
Total per capita water usage varies depending on location, season of the year and what types of water consuming appliances are utilized in the home. The U.S. average is nearly 70 gallons per person used each day. Of this, the amount people actually use for drinking and cooking is only about 2%, and varies widely among individuals.
Because of other uses in the community water suppliers pump much more water than is used in households. A recent national study of water suppliers showed that to supply water needed for all uses, the average amount of water pumped daily was 180 gallons per person.
In the home, toilet flushing is by far the largest single use of water. Toilets can use anywhere from 1.6 to 6 gallons of water for each flush. On the other hand, a dishwasher uses about 50% less water than the amount used when you wash and rinse dishes by hand.
Without counting lawn watering, typical percentages of household water use are as follows:
- Toilet flushing - 40%
- Baths and Showers - 32%
- Laundry - 14%
- Dishwashing - 6%
- Cooking and drinking - 5%
- Miscellaneous - 3%
What are those colored lines I see painted on the sidewalk or on the roadway?
Those markings note the location of buried utility lines. When someone plans to dig or excavate an area, they are required by law to contact Pennsylvania One Call (by dialing 8-1-1 or 1-800-242-1776) first so that utilities can mark the location of their lines before they start to dig.
Each color represents a different utility as follows:
Red = electric power lines, cables conduit and lighting cables
Yellow = gas, oil, steam, petroleum or gaseous materials
Orange = communication, alarm or signal lines, cables or conduit
Blue = potable water
Purple = reclaimed water, irrigation or slurry lines
Green = sewers and drain lines
It is important that these marks remain visible and unaltered until all excavation in the area has been completed. Removing, moving or otherwise tampering with marks for underground utility lines can cause interruption of service to you and your neighbors and may result in costly repairs that could increase your monthly utility bills. It can also result in injury or even death to those in the immediate vicinity.
Tampering with these underground facility marks, even those on private property, is a violation of the Pennsylvania Utility Line Protection Act 287, as amended. Conviction can result in a fine of up to $50,000, or imprisonment of up to 90 days, or both, not to speak of any civil liabilities in the matter. If you witness or suspect that someone has tampered with underground facility marks, please immediately notify Pennsylvania One Call by dialing 8-1-1 or 1-800-242-1776.
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