Duke Energy relies on water for energy production. In 2014, the company’s water consumption was about 357 gallons per net MWh of electricity produced. In the states Duke Energy serves, the average household uses from 10.74 to 13.56 MWh per year(1), which equates to about 3,834 to 4,841 gallons of water per year.

While water consumption for energy production is significant, it is only part of a family’s water use. The average family of four uses about 400 gallons of water a day, or 146,000 gallons a year, for household purposes(2). Much of this household water returns to the source, but typically, approximately 23 percent is consumed(3).

Duke Energy is fortunate to operate its U.S. power plants in areas with sufficient water resources. This may not always be the case, so the company is protecting and preserving water resources through power plant modernization, energy efficiency efforts and other innovative strategies.

In North Carolina and South Carolina, Duke Energy worked with stakeholders to establish the Catawba-Wateree Water Management Group, a nonprofit corporation composed of 18 regional public water suppliers and Duke Energy, which developed a basin-wide Water Supply Master Plan. Through implementation of conservation measures and improved drought management, the plan will extend water supplies for decades beyond current projections. As of March 2015, 15 of the 18 members have adopted nonbinding resolutions in support of the plan.

This collaborative and forward-thinking approach to managing the region’s water supply ensures the sustainability of water resources for a growing region while meeting energy production needs.

1 U.S. Energy Information Administration
2 U.S. EPA Watersense
3 U.S. EPA Water Use Information