Seoul City: "Single-person Households Use Tap Water the Most... People in Their 50s Use the Most"

2021 Usage Analysis Results Announcement

Seoul City disclosed on the 13th the analysis results of tap water usage over one year in 2021 for a total of 510,000 households and 1.23 million people, reflecting factors such as the number of household members, age, gender, and housing size, to forecast long-term demand and understand how changes in household size, including the increase in single-person households, affect tap water usage.

This study was conducted under the leadership of the Seoul Water Research Institute of the Seoul Metropolitan Waterworks Authority and the Seoul Big Data Office to systematically establish tap water production plans in response to socioeconomic changes such as the increase in 1-2 person households, and to provide citizens with information related to tap water usage, including average tap water consumption per household size.

As a result of analyzing the average daily tap water usage per person among Seoul citizens according to the number of household members, it was found that single-person households use the most water, with an average daily usage of 264 liters. The per capita water usage tends to decrease as the number of household members increases, indicating that communal living helps conserve water. Based on 2021 data, the average daily water usage per household size in Seoul was analyzed as 264ℓ for single-person households, 435ℓ for two-person households, 576ℓ for three-person households, 679ℓ for four-person households, 777ℓ for five-person households, and 813ℓ for six-person households.

Among single-person households, those in their 50s were found to use the most tap water, with an average daily usage of 288ℓ per person. The survey on water usage by gender showed that men used an average of 257ℓ per person per day, while women used 270ℓ, which is 13ℓ more than men.

For single-person households, tap water usage increased more compared to three-person households as the housing size grew. Single-person households showed an increase of up to 52%, or 148ℓ per day, as the residential area expanded, whereas three-person households increased by 31%, or 45ℓ per day.

Meanwhile, the research institute announced plans to conduct in-depth studies on various factors affecting tap water usage, such as heatwaves, commuting, and changes in floating population during holidays, to support more precise tap water demand forecasting in the future.

Son Jeong-su, Director of the Seoul Water Research Institute, stated, “The results of this study will be used as basic data for policies to predict tap water demand due to the long-term increase in 1- and 2-person households and to ensure stable tap water supply in the future.” He added, “Additionally, by providing citizens with various information on tap water usage, it is expected to encourage reflection on water usage habits and promote water conservation.”

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