Next to residential uses, commercial
consumption makes up the largest part of municipal water use. Commercial
consumers are businesses, and institutional users such as government
agencies, schools and hospitals. The commercial sector also includes
water consumed in some residential units, namely apartment buildings,
as these are normally operated by businesses.
Figure 1 shows that commercial use is about 18% of all municipal
water use in Canada (as of 1994).
[D] Click for larger version, 2 KB Figure 1. Municipal Water Use by Sector, 1994
Figure 2 gives a regional breakdown of commercial water use. On
a per capita basis, consumption rates are highest in Prince Edward
Island and in New Brunswick, and lowest in Manitoba.
[D] Click for larger version, 8 KB Figure 2. Commercial Water Use per Capita by Province and Territory, 1996
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