Lenn Black, Environmental Specialist, Division of Water, Ohio Department of Natural Resources
Karen Mancl, Professor Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering,The Ohio State University
Typical commercial and institutional water use is considered on a per employee basis (Table 1). The general water use per employee is 45 gallons per day.
Table 1. Estimates of Water Use for Businesses and Institutions
| Business/Institution | Water Use (gallons/person/day) |
|---|---|
| Swimming pool | 10 |
| Country club (nonresident) | 25 |
| Homes, institutional | 75-125 |
| Camp ground | 25 |
| Picnic areas | |
 with showers and toilets |
20 |
| toilets only |
10 |
| drinking fountain only |
3 |
| School | |
| with cafeteria, gym, and showers |
25 |
| with cafeteria only |
20 |
| no cafeteria, gym, or showers |
15 |
| Restaurants | 7-10 gallons/customer/day |
| Service stations | 10 gallons/vehicle/day |
| Motels | 40 gallons/bed space/day |
| General commercial | 45 gallons/employee/day |
Some commercial establishments have special water needs. For example, food service will use large amounts of water for cleaning. Car washes and laundries are other examples of high water users. Among institutional water users, hospitals have a high demand for water.
Commercial water users are:
Institutional water users are:
Water use from commercial and institutional users will most likely be seasonal. Weekend/week day variations are also common. Water is used for bathrooms, food preparation, cleaning, air conditioning, and irrigation.
Commercial and institutional users may provide for some or all of their water needs through an individual system. If this water is used by employees or the public, it is classified as a public water system and must meet regulatory requirements as a system that serves people where they work (nontransient, noncommunity water supply) or where people visit (transient, noncommunity water supply).
Some institutional water users are government buildings. Unfortunately, in many communities it is common to provide water at no cost to these types of buildings. This practice discourages water conservation and can result in large amounts of unaccounted-for water. A viable water system needs to account for and be compensated for all of the water it provides to users.