How Much Water do You Use? Gauge Your Personal Water Consumption

Water conservation is becoming an increasingly important issue. In order to start saving water, it helps to know how much water you use for common tasks. Warren County residents can use this handy guide to gauge their personal water consumption. We’ve also provided helpful suggestions for cutting water use.

Shower. Letting the water run continuously during a 10-minute shower uses 50 gallons of water. Cutting shower time to 5 minutes decreases water use by 50% to 25 gallons. If you like long showers, install a low-flow shower head which decreases water use by 50%.

Bath tub. Filling a standard-sized bath tub uses 36 gallons of water. Filling your tub only half full uses just 18 gallons, decreasing water use by 50%.

Toilet flushing. Depending on tank size, standard toilets use 5 to 7 gallons of water per flush. Placing a displacement bag inside the tank reservoir cuts water use to 4 to 6 gallons. Replacing your toilet with a low-flow toilet that uses just 1.6 gallons of water decreases water use by 73%.

Washing hands. Washing up while the tap runs uses 5 gallons of water. Filling the basin to wash your hands uses just 1 gallon of water, a water savings of 80%.

Brushing teeth. Running the tap continuously while you brush your teeth uses 10 gallons of water. Turning on the water only to wet your brush and periodically rinse it uses just 1 gallon of water, a 90% savings.

Dishwasher. Turning your dishwasher on for a full cycle uses 16 gallons of water. Using the short cycle uses only 7 gallons, a 56% savings.

Hand wash dishes. Washing dishes by hand with the tap running continuously uses 30 gallons of water. Washing and rinsing dishes in a filled sink uses only 10 gallons of water, a savings of 66%.

Your Plumber Can Tell You About Water-Conserving Plumbing Products

See you Nixco Plumbing professional for water-conserving plumbing products.

Thanks to Keith Raymond.

Tags: plumbing, water conservation, water efficient

This entry was posted on Saturday, July 10th, 2010 at 10:12 am under Plumbing Tips. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.