Perceptions of water use

Public perceptions of water use are explored using an online survey (N = 1,020). Results show that participants underestimated water use by a factor of 2 on average, with large underestimates for high water-use activities. High numeracy scores, older age, and male sex were associated with more accurate perceptions of water use. Overall, perception of water use is more accurate than the perception of energy consumption and savings previously reported, however perceptions of both resources show significant underestimation.