Where Your Water Goes

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)

If you are interested in finding out more about how your household consumes water and the effects various appliances can have, an excellent web site maintained by the California Urban Water Conservation Council, http://www.h2ouse.org/ provides a wealth of information.

Source: cons_xeriscape/conservation/water_use.html