Very simple one today…
Locate a copy of your water bills for the past month or two and see how much water you currently use…
For my family, we average about 3600 gallons per month, and there are 5 of us, so this is 3600/5 = 720 gallons per person per month.
Dividing by 30 days in a month, this gives us a “per capita” amount used of 24 gallons per person per day.
This includes drinking, cooking, showers and toothbrushing and facecleaning, flushing toilets, rinsing dishes, running the dishwasher, washing clothes, watering plants, etc.
Check it out for your family and keep track of all the times you use water today…
Lisa asked about per capita averages for water use so I have included this information from: Water Usage Information
Daily indoor per capita water use in the typical single family home is 69.3 gallons. Here is how it breaks down:
| Use | Gallons per Capita | Percentage of Total Daily Use |
| Showers | 11.6 | 16.8% |
| Clothes Washers | 15.0 | 21.7% |
| Dishwashers | 1.0 | 1.4% |
| Toilets | 18.5 | 26.7% |
| Baths | 1.2 | 1.7% |
| Leaks | 9.5 | 13.7% |
| Faucets | 10.9 | 15.7% |
| Other Domestic Uses | 1.6 | 2.2% |
{ 20 comments… read them below or add one }
I’ll be looking at my water bill to find this out. Right now, it’s only me and one other person. I wonder, what is the average “per capita” of a person living in the states?
MissMentor
Lisa,
I went ahead and answered your question in the post itself since it was a great question that others will have as they do this…
Thanks, Rob
thanks!
“Water,water all around, but not a drop to drink.” or is there?
Interesting. That reminds me of a sign I seen on a restaurant table the other day. It takes 3 glasses of water to wash one glass, so they only give water to customers that request it.
Great way to save water I thought.
Thanks for the info Rob
Bert (alter ego- Mister P)
MisterP.org/blog
So do I need to store 3000 gallons of water in my crawl space for emergencies? lol
That is really incredible! That’s a lot of water.
Lisa McLellan
Child Care Expert,
Babysitting Services, Babysitting Tips, Babysitters, Nannies
Very interesting that toilets use the most water in the house. I would’ve thought showers or dishwashers were the heaviest water users.
Health, Fitness for Working People — Darryl Pace
A few years ago in the UK, we had a water shortage – astonishing given the amout of rain we get!
The biggest tip they gave for conserving water was to only flush the toilet twice a day – morning and evening, after everyone had used it – AND after someone had had a major “dump”! The water companies estimated that this would reduce water consumption by a third.
Fortunately the shortage was only temporary, and normal hygiene was restored.
http://www.martin-wright.com
Do you have any leads on building a sustainable water treatment system?
Martin O’Connor
http://smallbusinessdesigncenter.com
Makes septic systems look a little less gross . . . nice photo!
Get Healthy, Katie
I’m already obsessed with Alexa and now the water bill… I’m on my way!
Jennifer Battaglino
The Harwood Center – Tinnitus, Chronic Illness, Fears, and Anxiety
Hi Rob,
indeed, I am stockpiling water.
from the water shortage days of the late 80s early 90s in San Francisco, I know some ways to do double duty on water usage. As well as displacing water in the toilet bowl for conservation. Important emergency and survival preparedness information here. great stuff!
Happy Dating and Relationships,
April Braswell
Single Baby Boomer Dating Success Expert
Mmmm we go through a fair amount and although we conserve the water supply where I live is free so I don’t think folks are aware of just how much they are consuming.
Keri Eagan
Anything Alternative
How much should we factor in for the animals?
Kate
Drinking water is a major issues in a survival situation. Fortunately most people can cut out showers, toilets and baths for a short period of time in order to save water for only the essentials. The average American has wasteful water habits.
Steve Chambers, Sale Trainer Speaker
That is a lot of water
Jose Escalante
http://www.joseescalante.com
Great information as always. Greetings from the Nations Capitol.
Scott
http://www.salesjunkie.net
http://www.scottpayne.me
Interesting facts. I would not have even been close if I would have guessed at our water usage. I will check out the next water bill.
Robert Martin
http://www.carbuyinghq.com
What I find amazing is how many people have leaks and don’t fix them. That is what I call water waste.
Vicki bridalthreadshq.com
Australia is the driest continent in the worls.
In the State of Victoria, Australia, we have been in water restriction for about 2 years now. With the booming population, it’s a double sword to be vigilent for water usage. No more hosing water doen teh drive way to celan it up. Not even washing your car at home with a hose.
John Ho
Numerology Expert Helps Understanding Personality for Better Influence & Persuasion