The following table shows amounts of water consumed by average usage. It can help you determine how much water your family uses each day, and how much water you could save by replacing old appliances and fixtures and adopting some waterwise habits.
| Activity | # of Times | Circumstances | Water Used2 | Total Use | |
Bathroom | |||||
| Toilet | 5 flushes1 | ULV toilet | 1.6 gal/flush | 8 gal | |
| Conventional toilet | 3.5 - 7 gal/flush | 17.5 - 35 gal | |||
| Shower | One – 8 min.1 | Low-flow showerhead | 2.5 gal/minute | 20 gal | |
| Conventional showerhead | 3 - 8 gal/minute | 24 - 64 gal | |||
| Bath | Once | Tub 1/4 to 1/3 full | 9 - 12 gal | 9 - 12 gal | |
| Full tub | 30 - 45 gal | 30 - 45 gal | |||
| Shaving | Once | 1 full basin | 1 gal | 1 gal | |
| Open tap, 5 minutes | 1.5 - 7 gpm | 7.5 - 35 gal | |||
| Brushing teeth | Twice | Brush and rinse | 1/4 - 1/2 gal | 1/2 - 1 gal | |
| Open tap, 2 minutes | 1.5 - 7 gpm | 3 - 14 gal | |||
| Hand washing | Seven | 1 full basin | 1 gal | 7 gal | |
| Open tap, 1 minute | 1.5 - 7 gpm | 1.5 - 7 gal | |||
Kitchen | |||||
| Cooking | Washing produce | 1 full kitchen basin | 1 - 2 gal | 1 - 2 gal | |
| Open tap, 3 minutes | 1.5 - 7 gpm | 4.5 - 21 gal | |||
| Dishwasher | Once - full load | Water-conserving model | 4.5 - 7 gal | 4.5 - 7 gal | |
| Standard cycle | 10 - 14 gal | 10 - 14 gal | |||
| Dishwashing by hand | Once | Full basin/wash & rinse | 2 - 4 gal. | 2 - 4 gal | |
| Open tap for 5 minutes | 3 - 7 gpm | 15 - 35 gal | |||
Miscellaneous | |||||
| Laundry | Once | Front-loader (h-axis) | 13 - 20 gal | 13 - 20 gal | |
| Conventional top-loader | 35 - 50 gal | 35 - 50 gal | |||
| Car washing | Once | 5 full, 2 gal. buckets | 10 gal/wash | 10 gal | |
| Hose for 5 min | 5/8" hose | 32 gal | |||
| Lawn watering | During hot dry spells, Kentucky bluegrass will need 3/4" of water twice a week, Turf-type tall fescue will need 1/2" - 3/4" of water twice a week,* and Buffalo grass will need 1/2" - 3/4" every other week* | ||||
1 Residential End Uses of Water (American Water Works Association Research Foundation, 1999) 2 Handbook of Water Use and Conservation, Amy Vickers (Waterplow Press: Amherst, MA, 2001) | |||||