Water Usage Calculator
How much water does your household use? Enter your daily habits (showers, baths, laundry, dishwashing, and lawn care) to see your estimated daily and monthly water consumption, cost, and how you compare to the national average. The calculator also identifies your biggest water usage source.
The average American uses about 82 gallons of water per day at home. Here is how that typically breaks down:
- Toilets: 24% (~20 gallons), the single largest indoor use
- Showers: 20% (~16 gallons), at 2.5 gallons per minute
- Faucets: 19% (~15 gallons), hand washing, cooking, brushing teeth
- Laundry: 17% (~14 gallons), 20 gallons per load
- Baths: 3% (~3 gallons average across population)
- Dishwasher: 2% (~2 gallons average), actually uses less than hand washing
- Outdoor: Up to 30%+ of total in summer for lawn and garden irrigation
Outdoor watering is often the single largest water use in homes with lawns, especially in dry climates. A standard sprinkler uses about 1,000 gallons per hour. Water-smart landscaping, drip irrigation, and watering in the early morning can reduce outdoor use by 20-50%.
The simplest ways to reduce indoor water use are: install low-flow showerheads (save 40%), fix leaky faucets (a drip wastes 3,000+ gallons/year), run full loads in the dishwasher and washing machine, and consider a dual-flush or low-flow toilet.