The purpose of the survey was to predict the future demand for water, considering changes in household sizes, including the growing number of single-person households. (Image courtesy of Pixabay)
SEOUL, Sept. 14 (Korea Bizwire) —An examination of how much tap water people use in Seoul on a typical day indicates that individuals who live alone use the most water.
These findings were made public by the Seoul Metropolitan Government on Wednesday. Researchers studied the water usage habits of 510,000 households and 1.23 million people in 2021.
The purpose of the survey was to predict the future demand for water, considering changes in household sizes, including the growing number of single-person households. The study was carried out by the Seoul Water Research Institute and the Seoul Big Data Office of the Seoul Metropolitan Government.
According to the number of people in a household, the average amount of tap water used per person was highest for those living alone, at 264 liters per day.
Two-person households used 218 liters, three-person households used 192 liters, and four-person households used 170 liters.
As the number of household members increased, the amount of water used per person decreased. Single individuals used about 36 percent more water than those in four-person households.
The city’s analysis suggests that this difference is because people in larger households tend to use water together, for activities like laundry and dishwashing.
Among single-person households, those living in apartments with a size of 20 to 30 square meters used an average of 330 liters per day, which was 148 liters or 52 percent more than those living in apartments smaller than 10 square meters, who used 216 liters. Three-person households in similar housing also increased their usage by 31 percent, going from 142 liters to 187 liters.
Among single-person households, individuals in their 50s used the most tap water, averaging 288 liters per day.
In terms of gender differences, women used slightly more water on average, with men using 257 liters per day and women using 270 liters per day.
The Seoul Institute of Water Research plans to adjust tap water production in response to societal changes, especially the increase of one- and two-person households. The institute also aims to better predict water demand by conducting thorough research on various factors affecting water usage, including heatwaves, commuting, and population changes during holidays.
Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)
