A household of one person uses about 80 – 100 gallons of water per day on average. The most considerable amount of water is used for flushing toilets, taking showers and baths, and faucets.
Water is an essential resource for everyone. But even the smallest of households can waste a lot of water every day. Therefore, it is imperative to stay conscious of the amount of water you use.
Want to learn more about the usage of water in a small household?
Read our guide below to identify the most significant water consumers in your home and how you can control wastage.
Toilet – 25 gallons per day
Low-flow toilet models use 1.6 gallons of water per flush. But conventional toilets can use anywhere from 5 to 7 gallons per flush. An average person flushes five to six times a day, which can amount to 9.6 gallons if you use a low-flow toilet.
Although it might not seem like a big deal, toilets can waste a lot of water. But there are various ways by which you can save water.
For instance, you can get a low-flow toilet that uses 1.6 gallons of water. You can also put a plastic water bottle filled with water in the toilet tank. The added volume will reduce the amount of water needed to fill up the tank. Ultimately, it reduces the water used in every flush by up to 10 gallons.
Make sure you don’t flush out things such as tissues or other bathroom waste. You should toss them in the garbage can.
Shower - 20 gallons per shower
The average showerhead pours out 2.5 gallons of water every minute. With the standard showers estimated at 8 minutes long, that means 20 gallons for a shower. For baths, the average person uses about 30 gallons and about 40 gallons if they use a bathtub.
Showers save more water than baths, but they too can waste water. Although it is good to indulge in the water once in a while, long showers shouldn’t become a habit. You should only shower long enough to clean yourself. Or turn off the shower while you are not actively using it.
You can also use a water saving showerhead like Oasense since they contribute towards water conservation efforts at home and save their users money in the long run.
Leaks – 90 gallons per day
About 10% of American households lose 90 gallons of water per day in leakages. It could be leakage from a worn-out toilet flapper, an old faucet gasket, a leaking showerhead, or all of them.
Your faucet might be dripping, and you might end up ignoring it. However, little drops can make up a lot of water wastage. Leaky pipes can also add to the overall water bill.
Water dripping from the sink can leave marks on the carpet, floors, and cabinets, eventually requiring replacement.
To deal with leakage problems, you should be diligent in fixing the leaks at your home. Don’t ignore the leaks. They can start from gaps in the flush valve, damaged seals, and flush valves having small cuts.
Faucet – 20 gallons per day
The average faucet pours 2.5gallons per minute., while the low-flow ones pour 1.5gallons per minute. An average person uses their faucets for approximately 8 minutes every day. So in total, a household of one uses about 20 gallons in faucets.
Sure, it is important to wash dishes and brush teeth. However, it is very easy to waste water during these activities. Instead of closing the faucet, such as when using the floss, we are likely to leave the water running.
But when you save water, you save money. Therefore, make sure the faucets don’t run while doing tasks such as shaving, brushing your teeth, or scrubbing your face.
If you require water for a long time, filling the basin with water and cutting the faucet off is preferable.
And when washing the dishes, make sure you have many dishes to clean instead of spending water on one or two spoons only.
Other water uses
Laundry. While older models use about 40 gallons of water per load, the current models use about 25 gallons per load.
Dishwasher. About 6 to 16 gallons per wash cycle.
Cooking. About 1 to 2 gallons
Drinking. 8 oz per glass
How much water does a typical household use per month?
Without leakages, the average person can use about 3000 gallons of water every month for indoor uses like washing, cooking, drinking, bathing, laundry, and flushing the toilet.
The table below highlights the amount of water used by different sized households per month.
Household Members | Water Gallons Per Month |
1 | 3000 |
2 | 6000 |
3 | 9000 |
4 | 12000 |
5 | 15000 |
While the table shows the average breakdown of water usage, various factors come into play when it comes to the total water usage.
For instance, households with a backyard swimming pool are likely to have high water usage, especially if the pools are filtered and filled regularly.
On the other hand, households with gardens and lawns may also use 5 to 10 gallons every day to water grass, vegetables, and flowers. The age of your family members also matter. For example, fashion-conscious teenagers might water clothes more often than the older people who live alone.
Research also suggests that the household size, the usage frequency of appliances, and per capita consumption mainly decide the amount of water usage. Usually, people think that metered and unmetered households use different amounts of water. However, the difference isn’t huge.
According to one study, it suggests that households use around 80 - 100 gallons per person each each day depending on the individuals water usage. Water usage varies for different regions, for example, in the UK, a household uses about 147 liters of water, in Mexico, the water usage is far less per household comparing to the US. Another factor to consider in a households water habits that was noted in thus study, was that weather patterns and climate also affect the amount of water used in a household.
Conserve water with water-saving showers
The toilet flush uses a very high amount of water, almost 25 gallons per person every day. Showers can use up to 20 gallons. And when it comes to faucets and leakages, they can amount to 1,200 and 2,700 gallons of water every month.
Even the littlest of efforts can go a long way in saving water. So how about starting with the shower?
Oasense Reva smart sensing shower is equipped with a multi-sensor perception technology to give you the desirable shower experience while preserving water resources.
Oasense water-saving shower senses when you step away from the shower to reduce the water flow. In this way, you can have a relaxing shower while conserving the water.
All you have to do is turn on the water and set a temperature. The water will heat up and flow eventually. You can then activate the full flow sensation by stepping under the shower. Upon stepping away, the water flow will reduce.
Do you want to reduce your water usage further?
