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Federal Water Use Indices

FEMP provides water use indices as a guide for Federal agencies. Note that each is a rough estimate of water usage at different types of sites. Your site may vary considerably.

The following indices should be used only to assist in determining baseline data when no other information is available on site water usage.

Water use indices are available for the following facility types:

• Commercial
• Recreational
• Institutional

Conversion factors for the Federal water use indices are also available.

Source: American Water Works Association 1996. Data represents gallons per unit per day.

Commercial

User	Unit	Range	Typical
Airport	Passenger	4-5	3
Apartment house	Person	100-200	100
Boarding house	Person	25-50	40
Hotel	Guest	40-60	50
	Employee	8-13	10
Lodging house and tourist home	Guest	30-50	40
Motel	Guest	25-40	35
Motel with kitchen	Guest	25-60	40
Laundry (self-service)	Machine	400-650	550
Office	Employee	8-20	15
Public Lavatory	User	3-6	5
Restaurant (including toilet)
Conventional	Customer	8-10	9
Short-order	Customer	3-8	8
Parking Space	1-3	8-13
	Employee	2	10
Open Space
Non-turf	Acre		785
Turf	Acre		1571

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Recreational

User	Unit	Range	Typical
Apartment, resort	Person	50-70	60
Bowling alley	Alley	150-250	200
Camp
Pioneer type	Person	15-30	25
With toilet and bath	Person	35-50	45
Day, with meals	Person	10-20	15
Day, without meals	Person	8-18	13
Trailer	Trailer	75-150	125
Campground	Person	20-40	30
Country Club	Members	80-125	100
	Employee	10-15	50
Dormitory (bunk house)	Person	20-45	35
Fairground	Visitor	1-2	3
Picnic park with flush toilets	Visitor	5-10	6
Swimming Pool and Beach	Customer	5-15	10
	Employee	8-15	10
Visitor center	Visitor	4-8	5

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Institutional

User	Unit	Range	Typical
Assembly hall	Seat	2-4	3
Medical Hospital	Bed	80-150	120
	Employee	5-15	10
Prison	Inmate	80-150	120
	Employee	5-15	10
Rest Home	Resident	5-120	90
	Employee	5-15	10
School, Day
With cafeteria, gym and showers	Student	15-30	25
With cafeteria only	Student	10-20	15
Without cafe and gym	Student	5-15	10
School, Boarding	Student	50-100	75

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Conversion Factors for Federal Water Use Indices

Volume conversion

1 gallon (gal)	= 8.34 pounds
1 cubic foot (ft3)	= 7.48 gallons
1 unit (Ccf)	= 748 gallons
1 acre-foot (AF)	= 325,851 gallons
1 acre-foot (AF)	= 43,560 cubic feet
1 million gallons/day (MGD)	= 1121 acre feet/year

Metric conversions

1 acre	= .4 hectares
1 gallon	= 3.8 liters
1 cubic foot	= 0.3 cubic meters

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