Q: I received my water bill yesterday, and it stated that I used an average of 183 gallons per day. What is the typical average? We are a family of four -- myself, my husband, a 3-year-old and a 4-month-old.

--Jill Rbaihat

Raleigh

A: Ask around, and the answers vary. When Mayor Charles Meeker challenged Raleigh residents to use no more than 35 gallons a day earlier this year, city officials said the average Raleigh resident consumed about 75 gallons a day. Cary officials say that from 2001 through 2005, the average Cary household consumed 58 gallons of water per person daily, not including outdoor use.

So your average of 46 gallons per person daily appears low, though the estimates don't seem to distinguish between adults and children. A 4-month-old in diapers shouldn't use as much water as an adult -- unless perhaps you're washing cloth diapers.

Nationwide, the American Water Works Association estimates that the typical single-family home uses 69.3 gallons of water per person each day for indoor purposes.