What is an LUE?
An LUE or Living Unit Equivalent is a planning tool which is a measure of the typical flow of water used or wastewater produced by a single family residence. For water, this includes consumptive uses such as lawn watering. The wastewater system does not receive these flows, so the figures for water and wastewater are different. A typical dry weather water usage for 1 LUE would be 350-500 gallons per day. The smallest meter, 5/8-inch, is sufficient for 1 LUE, the next size up, – inch meter is 1.5 LUEs, and the next size, 1-inch meter would be large enough for 2.5 LUEs. See the Rates and Fees section for a complete list of meter sizes. A very large mansion with five bathrooms, for example, might need a 1-inch meter or 2.5 LUEs of service. Wastewater design planning criteria is 250 gallons per day per LUE.
