What does this measure?
The average amount of water used daily in a geographic area, expressed as a rate per person.
Why is this important?
Increasingly, communities are struggling to maintain supplies of water that are clean, healthy, and affordable. High water usage may make a region more vulnerable to future water shortages or droughts.
How does our county compare?
At a daily average of 29 gallons, Lancaster County used less water per capita in 2015 than the state, overall, which had an average rate of 41 gallons per capita. Nationally, the usage rate was higher than Lancaster, at 72 gallons per capita, daily.
Lancaster used less water than all comparison counties: Dauphin averaged 46 gallons per resident, per day; Chester used 30, Lebanon used 31; York and Berks used 34; Cumberland used 35 gallons per capita, daily.
Notes about the data
These figures represent freshwater withdrawals from public supply ground water sources only. Data for this indicator are collected and compiled every five years.
| 2005 | 2010 | 2015 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania | 44 | 43 | 41 |
| Lancaster County | 33 | 35 | 29 |
| York County | 37 | 39 | 34 |
| Chester County | 36 | 38 | 30 |
| Lebanon County | 36 | 38 | 31 |
| Cumberland County | 44 | 40 | 35 |
| Berks County | 35 | 37 | 34 |
| Dauphin County | 43 | 43 | 46 |
Notes: Rate is gallons used per resident per day.
| 2005 | 2010 | 2015 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania | 551,500,000 | 547,890,000 | 522,240,000 |
| Lancaster County | 16,100,000 | 18,080,000 | 15,410,000 |
| York County | 15,000,000 | 16,850,000 | 14,880,000 |
| Chester County | 17,300,000 | 19,090,000 | 15,380,000 |
| Lebanon County | 4,530,000 | 5,070,000 | 4,220,000 |
| Cumberland County | 9,880,000 | 9,320,000 | 8,650,000 |
| Berks County | 14,060,000 | 15,030,000 | 13,960,000 |
| Dauphin County | 11,040,000 | 11,430,000 | 12,640,000 |
