Plumbing, By The Numbers

t’s easy to take plumbing for granted. Don’t feel guilty–we do it too! To celebrate World Plumbing Day, we decided to take a look at our profession by the numbers. People commonly underestimate the impact plumbing has on us day-to-day until they see it represented in pure stats. Calculating the statistics behind our profession is a humbling experience, and one that inspires us to work even harder on your behalf.

Here are a few of the most mind-blowing water usage and plumbing stats, starting in your home and working up to around the whole world.

In the Home

• The average US family of four uses up to 400 gallons of water a day.
• The average US individual uses around 127,400 gallons of water a year.
• Flushing a modern toilet requires around 1.6 gallons per flush. Older toilets can require between 3.5 up to 7 gallons per flush.
• A running toilet can waste up to 200 gallons of water per day.
• Running showers consume 2.5 gallons of water per minute of use.
• Sinks use 2 gallons of water for every minute they’re left running.
• Turning off the tap while brushing your teeth can save 200 gallons of water a month!
• 10% of US homes have small plumbing leaks which waste 90 gallons of water or more a day
• Having a professional locate and repair small plumbing leaks can save more than 10 gallons of water per day.
• The daily price of water in the US depends on where you live; a Dallas household that uses 40 gallons of water a day would pay $43.88 on a 30-day month, according to Dallas’ residential water charges calculator.

On the Job

• As of 2016, there were approximately 468,869 people working as plumbers in the US, and by now, there are probably more!
• In 2015, plumbers made an average of $50,620 per year.
• As of 2016, there were 115,737 plumbing companies in the US.
• Business in the plumbing industry is widespread and competitive: no single plumbing company accounts for more than 1% of overall industry revenue.
• According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the plumbing industry is projected to grow by 24% from 2014 to 2024.
• Only 4% of the US’ maintenance workforce are women, even though the skilled trades are a great place for women.
• Texas employs approximately 35,300 plumbers – more than any state other than California.
• Plumbers working in the Dallas-Plano-Irving metro area make a mean hourly wage of $27.08.
• Most plumbers complete a paid 4 to 5 year apprenticeship to become trade experts. Apprentice plumbers complete at least 1,700 to 2,000 hours of on-the-job training during each year of the apprenticeship, with an additional minimum 246 hours of supplemental technical education.
• Most states, including Texas, require all professional plumbers to be licensed. Earning a plumbing license requires 2 to 5 years of plumbing experience and passing a written, standardized test.

Around the World

• 98% of the world’s water is unfit for human consumption.
• Agriculture accounts for 70% of water use worldwide.
• The US uses 3.9 trillion gallons of water every month.
• Household leaks waste 1 trillion gallons of water every year in the US alone!  
• Only 50% of the world’s population has access to piped drinking water.
• Over the past five years, municipal water rates have increased by 27% in the US, 45% in Australia, 50% in South Africa, and 58% in Canada.
• Scientists have discovered evidence of well creation as early as 7500 around 7500 BCE.

Everyone knows plumbing is a dirty job, but as these numbers demonstrate, it’s also one of the most important. If you’re looking for any kind of plumbing assistance, you can call the punctual plumbers anytime. We’ll be there to help ASAP. You’ll get the best service in the industry, and we get to take pride in a job well done. It’s a win-win, really.