How much water does each person use a day

When most people in the US want fresh, clean water, all they have to do is turn on a faucet. Still, no place is immune from drought, so it’s important to be conservative with your water use at home, no matter where you live.

On average in the US, water use at home (water from the tap, toilet, dishwasher, etc.) adds up to about 138 gallons per household per day, or 60 gallons per person per day.

American Water Use at Home – How Many Gallons do We Use?

Recent studies of how Americans use water throughout their homes show that, for most people, indoor water use is highest in the bathroom, followed by the laundry room. Table 1 provides a breakdown.

Table 1. A daily breakdown of water use in the US:

Leaks are, perhaps, the most surprising use of water on this list – they amount to 18 gallons of water per household per day lost to leaky toilets, appliances and faucets.

Saving Water with Water-Efficient Toilets, Showerheads and More

Fortunately, saving water around the house is easier now than ever before. Switching to water-saving fixtures and appliances can reduce indoor water use by twenty percent. The Environmental Protection Agency’s WaterSense website lists many water-saving products. The Department of Energy’s ENERGY STAR label also has an extensive list of energy- and water-saving appliances, like dishwashers and washing machines.

Newer bathroom fixtures and appliances like toilets, showerheads and faucets are designed to be more water-efficient than older models and can save hundreds of gallons a month. For example, older toilets use up to six gallons per flush, whereas low-flow toilets (or any toilet manufactured after 1994) use 1.6 gallons or less. Likewise, older showerheads flow well over the federal limit of 2.5 gallons per minute, while low-flow models can flow no higher than two gallons per minute. Some shower fixtures, especially those with multiple nozzles, exceed the federal limit, so these fixtures require reduced shower time in order to save water.

Likewise, newer dishwashers and clothes washers use water much more efficiently than older models. Water efficient dishwashers save more than 5,000 gallons of water per year compared with washing dishes by hand (and use less than half as much energy, too). Newer washing machines handle much bigger loads of clothing with much less water. A full-sized ENERGY STAR-certified clothes washer uses 13 gallons of water per load, compared to the 23 gallons used by a standard machine, saving over 3,000 gallons of water per year.

With a little bit of research, water- and energy-saving products can be purchased that provide enhanced performance, help save on water bills and have the added benefit of saving water for future generations. If new appliances aren’t in the budget, significant water savings can still be achieved just by finding and fixing leaks.

Heating and Cooling Are Water (and Energy) Hogs!

Because it takes a lot of water to make electricity, water heating can be a big energy user – it’s right up there with heating and cooling and running appliances, electronics and lighting. Those long, hot showers feel good but they waste both water and energy, and although modern fixtures and appliances are a great way to save gallons, it’s still important to simply turn off the tap.

Read about how much water it takes to manufacture all of your consumer goods.

Ever wondered whether you use more or less water than the average person? And if so, how could you conserve water and reduce your spend?

Recent statistics show that the average US family of four pays about 72.93 U.S. dollars for water every month. So, if you’re spending much more than this, it’s likely that you’re using more, too.

Read on to learn the average residential water usage in the US, and how you can conserve more water.

🏠 Residential Water Usage in the US: By The Numbers

According to a survey by the Water Research Foundation, the average daily water use can be broken down as follows: 

These findings may surprise you. While it makes sense that toilets use the most water, you might not have realized just how significantly a leakage can contribute to your water bill.

Additionally the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) found that the states with the most population growth had the highest average water usage in the past decade. Idaho’s population has increased by 27%, and the state has an average water usage of 151-200 gallons per person per day. Utah’s population has grown 33%, and the state has an average water usage of 151-200 gallons per person per day.

Average Water Usage Per Person, Per Day

The EPA has produced a report that indicates how many gallons of water the average person uses for a single appliance per day. Here are the key findings:

In the bathroom…

• Shower – 11.6 gallons pp (per person), pd (per day)
• Toilet – 18.5 gallons pp, pd
• Faucet – 10.9 gallons pp, pd

In the kitchen…

• Dishwasher – 1 gallon pp, pd
• Washing Machine – 15 gallons pp, pd

Of course, this is just the average figure, and will be affected by the size of your home and your number of bathrooms, and how many people live in your household. Environmental factors can also impact your water use.

You can use these daily averages to work out the average water use cost per person, per week, or per person, per month, for each appliance.

Here are the results for the average cost per person, per month:

 In the bathroom…

• Shower – 348 gallons pp (per person), pm (per month)
• Toilet – 555 gallons pp, pm
• Faucet – 327 gallons pp, pm

In the kitchen…

• Dishwasher- 30 gallons pp, pm
• Washing Machine – 450 gallons pp, pm

If you want to work out the average cost per person, per year for each appliance, multiply these figures by 12.

🏞️ Environmental Factors That Impact Water Usage

There are a number of environmental factors that can affect just how much water we have access to. This might be difficult to believe, considering that about 71% of the earth’s surface is covered by water. However, most of our natural water supplies are unsafe to drink, and aren’t always easy to access.

Two of the biggest environmental factors that can impact water usage are infrastructure problems and drought.

Infrastructure

Old pipes supplying water to our homes may be made from lead, or else clogged with sediment or corroded. This can affect the speed and quality of water that is delivered through your faucets.

The cost of leaky water mains and old, crumbling pipes is staggeringly high – and the NRDC estimates that we lose about 2.1 trillion gallons of drinkable water in the US due to these issues every year.

Your home’s water pressure can be affected by even a relatively small leak in a pipe, especially if the pipe is closer to your home’s point of entry, and supplies all your appliances and faucets. This is because some of the water will end up leaking out of the pipe rather than flowing around your home.

Drought

Drought affects the amount of water in our local reservoirs, which, in turn, affects the amount of water that can be delivered to our homes, and how much comes out of our faucets. Millions of people around the world are affected by drought.

Our natural water consumption is responsible for increasing the frequency of drought by around 25% since 1960, according to reports. And the NRDC estimates that the cost of drought is second only to the cost of hurricanes, coming in at about $9.6 billion in loss and damage in a single event.

📌 Tips For Conserving More Water

If you want to cut down on your water use, whether for the benefit of the environment or your wallet, there are several ways that you can conserve water without rationing it.

Fix Leaks

A leak has the potential to waste gallons of water per day. An EPA report found that the average household leak is responsible for 10,000 gallons of water wasted every year. About 10% of homes were also found to waste at least 90 gallons of water per day.

It’s unsurprising, then, that fixing leaks is the number one water conservation act. It isn’t always your pipes themselves that are leaking. Listen for drips in your toilet or from your sink faucets. You could need to fix or replace your toilet’s flapper valve or plunger ball, or get a new washer for your faucets.

Leaking household appliances like dishwashers, refrigerators, washers, and hot water heaters can also waste gallons of water per year, but these can be trickier to fix yourself, and leaks can cause potential fire risks. It’s worth getting a professional to look at leaking appliances, rather than attempting to fix them yourself.

Read Also: Find the leak before its too late! Top smart water leak detectors in 2022

Replace Old Inefficient Appliances

Old dishwashers and washers can have a big impact on your annual water consumption. Even if you’re minimizing the wasted drinking water that comes out of your taps, if your appliances aren’t efficient, you’ll still end up wasting a lot of water.

If your appliances are more than 10 years old, consider replacing them with ENERGY STAR-rated appliances, which are designed to be more efficient and less wasteful. Look for washers and dishwashers with a low water factor, too, which means they use less water for every cycle.

Replace Old Fixtures

Toilets, showerheads and faucets are all generally more wasteful than newer models that are designed to minimize household water usage. Replacing old toilets with new designs can help you save more than 10,000 gallons per year, using less water for every flush.

Replacing old, leaking showerheads and taps can help you save both money and electricity costs. You can also save energy by installing WaterSense labeled showerheads, according to the EPA, as these showerheads will reduce the water used in showers and reduce demand on your household water heater, helping the average American family save up to 330 kilowatt hours of electricity annually.

Turn Off Water While Washing Hands, Dishes & Brushing Teeth

An average of two gallons of drinking water flows out of a standard tap per minute. If you get into the habit of turning off the tap whenever you use water to brush your teeth, wash your hands or do your dishes, you can save between three and four gallons of drinking water in a single day. The average American family has the potential to save up to 1,000 gallons per year alone from this easy hack.

This solution is simple: only use water when you need it. Don’t leave the water running if you’re not holding your hands beneath it. This can help you cut down on how much water you use – and each drop adds up.

Water the Lawn Less or Xeriscape/Zeroscape It!

Watering your lawn can be responsible for thousands of gallons of water waste annually. If you live in a hot or dry region, the EPA estimates that your outdoor water use can peak at 60 percent.

It typically isn’t necessary to water your grass on a daily basis. If you step on your grass and it springs back when you take your foot away, it doesn’t need watering. Simply reducing your grass watering frequency by half will help you to achieve a good water saving in the long run.

An alternative is to xeriscape or zeroscape your lawn. Xeriscaping is the act of landscaping your garden in a way that reduces or even eliminates the need for watering. It’s estimated that installing xeriscapes in your garden can reduce your water use by 60 percent, compared to a typical grassy lawn.

Xeriscaping or zeroscaping gives you the chance to take on a creative outdoor project, and, when it’s complete, reap the rewards by saving money and water, and reduce your own labor required to maintain your garden.