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    Rural and Small Town Canada Analysis Bulletin

    Domestic Water Use: The Relevance of Rurality in Quantity Used and Perceived Quality

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    Domestic Water Use: The Relevance of Rurality in Quantity Used and Perceived Quality

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    By David Hardie and Alessandro Alasia, Statistics Canada

    Highlights

    • One-third of rural and small town residents rely on private wells for their drinking water.
    • Rural residents connected to a municipal water system have a higher per capita use of water than urban residents.
    • Water use appears to have a stronger association with economic incentives than with location characteristics. Households in areas with a higher proportion of water meters use less water than households in areas with a lower proportion of water metering.
    • For households using tap water for drinking, rural households are less likely to treat their water than urban households.
    • Locational characteristics are significant factors in determining perception of water quality as measured by the choice of treating tap water for domestic consumption. Water source (municipal systems or private wells) does not seem to affect water quality perception.
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