How the water usage calculator works
Enter how often your household showers, flushes, and runs laundry and the dishwasher, and the tool estimates your water use per day, week, and year, plus a per person figure. It uses typical fixture flow rates and flags which activity uses the most, so you can see where your water actually goes.
Typical fixture amounts
The estimates use common values: about 2.1 gallons per minute for a shower, 1.6 gallons per flush for a modern toilet, around 20 gallons per laundry load, and about 6 gallons per dishwasher load. Older fixtures can use much more, while efficient low flow models use noticeably less.
Where water goes
In many homes, showers, toilets, and laundry are the three biggest indoor uses, while outdoor watering can dominate in summer. The biggest single use figure highlights your largest lever, which is usually where a small habit change or a fixture upgrade pays off most in both water and water heating energy.
Saving water
Shorter showers, efficient shower heads and toilets, full laundry and dishwasher loads, and fixing leaks are the highest impact steps. Hot water savings also cut energy bills. Use the per person figure to compare against typical household averages and to set a realistic reduction goal. These figures are estimates, not a substitute for your water meter.
Frequently asked questions
How much water does a shower use? Around 2 gallons a minute, so roughly 16 gallons for an eight minute shower.
What uses the most water at home? Often showers, toilets, and laundry indoors, plus outdoor watering seasonally.
How can I use less? Shorter showers, efficient fixtures, full appliance loads, and fixing leaks.
Related calculators: Electricity Cost, Carbon Footprint, Water Intake.