Consumption

The City of Luxembourg consumes 21,000 m3 of drinking water per day.

The daily consumption of drinking water for household purposes alone is about 180 litres per person, of which only a small amount (2 litres) is used for drinking and cooking. Most of this water is used to make everyday life more pleasant. On average, the water requirements of a typical household are as follows:

  • 1/3 for baths, showers or personal hygiene
  • 1/3 for toilets
  • 1/6 for laundry and washing up
  • 1/6 for washing cars, watering plants, cooking and drinking

Careless use of this precious resource may produce shortages that nature cannot easily replenish. It is therefore in our interest to consume water sensibly.

15 tips

  1. Do not run water while shaving, washing your hands or brushing your teeth

  2. Use a cup of water to rinse after brushing your teeth

  3. Replace leaky faucets and washers

  4. Put flow reducers on faucets. These are sometimes called aerators

  5. Equip toilets with water-saving flushes (dual control)

  6. Shower instead of taking baths

  7. Buy water- and energy-saving dishwashers and washing machines

  8. Run dishwashers and washing machines only when they're full

  9. When washing dishes by hand, don't let the water run, but fill two basins (one for washing, one for rinsing)

  10. Wash your vegetables over a basin and reuse the water for your household plants

  11. Clean your car at a car wash, rather than in your garden or on the street. Not only will dirty water be treated, but high-pressure cleaning uses three times less water than garden hoses.

  12. Place mulch around plants to retain moisture from dew and watering

  13. Use a drip watering system or a porous pipe to regulate the amount of water

  14. Water in the evenings when evaporation is slower

  15. Make maximum use of other water resources: recovery of water from rain, the kitchen (10), wells (e.g. to water lawns and gardens)