Daily Water Usage per Seoul Citizen 293ℓ, 3% Increase Over 10 Years... Only 33% Say "I Save Water"

Seoul City Research Results Released, Contrasting 15% Decrease in US and Canada
'Our Country is a Water-Scarce Nation' 71.6%→58.8%... Awareness Weakening
91% Recognize Need for Water Conservation, 33% Respond They Save Water... "Need to Broaden Consensus on Water Saving"

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The daily water usage per Seoul citizen has increased by 8.4 liters to 293.1ℓ over the past 10 years. However, a survey on perceptions of tap water usage revealed that while the necessity of water conservation is recognized, the proportion of respondents who actually save water is not high.

On the 1st, the Seoul Metropolitan Government announced the results of a study on the response of the water supply system to changes in water usage factors among Seoul citizens. This study was conducted to examine the impact of factors such as the population served, climate change, and water usage habits on future water demand in Seoul, and to analyze tap water usage habits and perception survey results to establish efficient water demand management policies.

The study found that the amount of tap water used per Seoul citizen per day increased by 8.4ℓ (3%) from 284.7ℓ in 2010 to 293.1ℓ in 2019. This contrasts with major cities in the United States and Canada, where the average daily water usage per person decreased by 15% from 262ℓ (1999) to 222ℓ (2016) due to the efficiency of water-saving devices.

Seoul’s tap water usage was influenced by factors such as the population served, demographic changes, climate change, and COVID-19. It is predicted that Seoul’s water usage will decrease by 3.4% (98,829㎥) in 2025 and 4.6% (134,474㎥) in 2030 compared to the average daily usage of 2,943,579㎥ in 2018, due to a decline in the population served and demographic shifts. However, despite the population decrease, the maximum daily water supply in 2030 is expected to be 3.6 million ㎥, which is not significantly lower than last year’s maximum daily supply of 3.62 million ㎥.

Water usage was found to be greatly affected by climate change factors. In Seoul, when the average temperature rises by 10℃, the total daily production increases by 100,000 tons, and per capita water usage increases by about 10ℓ. Notably, water usage before and during the COVID-19 pandemic showed significant changes by purpose: household use increased by 4.2%, general use decreased by 10.8%, and bath use decreased by 47.7%.

Additionally, Seoul conducted a survey to understand water usage amounts, patterns, and perceptions in households and social life, and released the results. According to the ‘Water Usage Status’ survey, respondents reported an average of 0.9 showers per day (average 17.5 minutes), 4.1 face washings (average 5.5 minutes), 2.7 dishwashings (average 15.1 minutes), 3.3 teeth brushings, 4.3 toilet uses, and 4.4 laundry loads per week.

Furthermore, 58.8% of respondents recognized South Korea as a water-scarce country. This is a 12.8% decrease compared to a 2016 survey where 71.6% of respondents recognized the country as water-scarce, indicating a somewhat weakened perception of water scarcity. Regarding ‘water conservation,’ 91.1% of respondents acknowledged the need to save water, but only 33.1% said they actually conserve water. More than 80% responded that water-saving devices help conserve water.

Kim Hye-jung, Director of the Seoul Water Institute, stated, “As the available water resources in our country continue to decrease, it is essential to use water efficiently in the context of future climate change response and energy conservation. We will expand understanding and empathy so that citizens can voluntarily practice water conservation.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.