Water consumption daily by Americans is estimated at an average of 80-100 gallons of water/person according to the United States Geological Survey. Now convert that to the number in your family, we are really starting to use water. Keep in mind this number can vary greatly among communities and different parts of the United States. Are you possibly using that much water each day? Here are some of the normal household uses of water: drinking; cooking; bathing; showering; toilet flushing; washing clothes and dishes; watering lawns, gardens, and landscapes; and washing cars and pets.
Where do you think the most water is used each day? If you guessed the bathroom, you were right, first for flushing the toilet (3-5 gallons/flush), then for showers (2-5 gallons/minute) and baths (36 gallons if a full tub). Water use in the kitchen might surprise you as well with the dishwasher using 4-10gallons/load and dishwashing by hand using up to 20 gallons per meal. How many loads of laundry do you have each day? A typical load of laundry can use 25-40 gallons of water. Outdoor watering (5-10 gallons/minute), especially in the drought conditions, that we are facing now, can really add up to excess water usage.
Take a few minutes to have each person in your family take this Family Water Audit to see if you are a water wise or water foolish family. After you’ve totaled your score, be sure to watch for future Water Conservation news articles to see how you can make a few simple changes and start conserving water in your community and lessen the demand for water in these drought conditions. Fill out for a chance to win prizes!