How much water do you and your family use?
Here's a quiz to help you find out.
This questionnaire can help you calculate how much water your household uses daily and in a month. (If you have water-saving appliances or toilets, your use may be somewhat less than the amount you calculate here.)
Showers - Multiply the number of daily showers by the number of minutes each shower takes. Now multiply that number by 3 gallons per minute used. Enter the answer here _____.
Baths - Multiply the number of daily baths by 36 (gallons in a full bath) or 18 (gallons in a half tub). Enter the answer here _____.
Toilets - Multiply the number of persons in the home by the number of daily flushes. (The average is four per person.) Multiply that number by 3, the number of gallons used per flush. Enter the answer here _____.
Brushing Teeth - Multiply the number of persons in the home by the number of daily brushings. Multiply that figure by 3 (the number of gallons used while the faucet runs for one minute). Enter the answer here _____.
Washing dishes - Multiply the number of times per day dishes are washed by the number of minutes the water is running. Multiply that number by 3. Enter the answer here _____.
Washing hands - Multiply the number of times per day hands are washed by the number of minutes the water is running. Multiply that number by 3. Enter the answer here _____.
Dishwasher - Add the number of times per week you run the dishwasher and divide by 7 to obtain the average daily usage. Multiply that figure by 12 (the number of gallons used by each wash). Enter the answer here _____.
Laundry - Add the number of loads of laundry done weekly and divide by 7. Multiply that figure by 44 (the number of gallons used per load). Enter the answer here _____.
Other Indoor Uses - People use water in other ways. Multiply the number of persons in your household by 10 gallons. Enter the answer here _____.
Outside Watering - You also use water outside (watering plants, washing cars, filling pools, etc.). Multiply the number of minutes you have a hose turned on by 6. Enter the answer here _____.
To calculate your household's daily water use, add all your answers to get an estimate of the gallons of water used daily.
Enter the answer here _____.
This is your estimated daily usage.
To calculate your monthly use, multiply your estimated daily usage by 30.
Enter the answer here _____.
This is your estimated monthly usage.
How much can you reduce your usage?