Water conservation in the bathroom
Why conserve water?
Water conservation is the most cost-effective and environmentally sound way to reduce our demand for water. This stretches our supplies farther, and protects places like Mono Lake. For example, the city of Los Angeles has grown by 1 million people since the 1970s, but still uses the same amount of water. Using less water also puts less pressure on our sewage treatment facilities, and uses less energy for water heating.In an on-going effort to solve global environmental problems on a local level, why not take a look at water consumption in your own bathroom? If we all use water in our bathrooms more efficiently we can help preserve water resources for future generations. Here are simple ways to conserve water in your own home.
Even though 70 percent of the earth's surface is covered by water, less than one percent is suitable for consumption. With the earth's population continuing to rise, it is critical that we get smarter about how we use our supply of portable water. The good news is that we all can make a difference just by making a few small changes to our daily habits. Your bathroom can be the one room in your house that uses the most water; from your toilet to your tub and shower to your sink, there's a lot of water that goes down the drain. Each can be minimized with the help of smart materials, though; check out our guide to water conservation in the bathroom.
[edit] Eco-friendly bathroom
Eco-friendly bathrooms take advantage of water conservation products to help save water. Bathroom systems are available which can be of significant benefit to the environment whilst maintaining top standards of luxury and excellence in craftsmanship. The word eco-friendly is often associated with negative stereotyping of life without electricity or any home comforts. With the new innovations available from leading bathroom fitting manufacturers, this is definitely not the case.
Recycle grey water Recycling grey water is an important part of eco-friendly bathroom products. Grey water is the used water from baths, showers, wash basins and sinks which can be re-used for flushing toilets or watering the garden.
Previously, in order to use recycled grey water, the used water underwent chemical treatments to sterilize it. This was and still is very harmful to the environment due to the harsh and damaging chemicals used in the sterilization process.
Contemporary eco-friendly bathrooms do not use harmful chemicals. The waste water from baths, showers and basins undergoes a four-stage cleaning process using UV light instead of chemicals to sterilize the water by killing germs and bacteria. Thus is it possible to save water while enjoying the luxury of modern bathrooms.
[edit] Basic tips for conserving water in the bathroom
- Use less water when flushing your toilet - Generous. Fill a gallon plastic bottle with water and place it in your toilet tank (the part in the back!) – it will take up the same space as the water usually does, but in a year, it will keep more than 10,000 litres of water from going down the drain. Or, consider installing a grey water management system for flushing.
- Shorten showers. Simply reducing that lingering time by a few minutes can save hundreds of gallons of hot water per month for a family of four. Showers account for 2/3 of your water heating costs. Cutting your showers in half will reduce your water heating costs by 33 percent. Environmental Services Department Energy Tips
- Turn the tap off when brushing your teeth - Generous
- Use low-flow faucets, shower heads, reduced-flow toilet flushing equipment, and water saving appliances such as dish and clothes washers. Install a AAA-rated showerhead, or fit a flow restricting valve to existing shower heads, to reduce the amount of water delivered. These devices can cut water delivery from the shower in half without affecting shower quality, saving up to $20 per person per year. For an innovative low-flow showerhead without losing pressure see this model by Natural Collection. Another novel invention is the Air Shower, which shows no difference in water pressure or sensation but a difference it could save more than 45,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools worth of water if used in all Australian households, for example!
- Repair leaking faucets, toilets, and pumps. Put dye tablets or food coloring in your toilet tank and wait to see if the color appears in the bowl (without flushing). If it does, you have a leak!
- Check to assure that your toilet's flapper valve doesn’t stay open after flushing.
- When taking a bath, start filling the tub with the drain already plugged instead of waiting first for the water to get warm. Adjust the temperature as the tubs begins to fill. Or put a bucket under your faucets and catch the water that comes out until the hot water arrives. Use this water on your houseplants.
- Buy an electric razor or fill the sink with a little water to rinse your razor, instead of rinsing in running water.
- Shower with more than one person at a time, it cuts water usage and helps to generate natural heat.
[edit] Water conservation at the faucet
Fix the leak at the water faucet. Leaky water faucets are responsible for wasting thousands of gallons of water a year. One easy way to determine if your water faucet has a leak is to document the reading on your water meter. Allow two or three hours to pass and read the water meter again. If there is a significant difference in the readings, you may have a leaky water faucet. If a replacement water faucet is needed, consider an environmentally responsible product which can reduce a sink's water flow without reducing performance. Turn it off. Allowing the water to run while you brush your teeth or wash your face can waste from eight to ten gallons of water a day. Adopt the eco-friendly habit of turning off the water during these activities.
Finally, fit all household faucets with low-flow aerators (less than two gallons per minute). This is the best in-home water conservation method, and it's also the cheapest.
[edit] Using faucet Aerator
Install a Faucet Aerator
- Water conserving faucet aerators are available in sizes ranging from approximately 0.5 gallons per minute (gpm) to 2 gpm. Low-flow aerators mix air with the water to make an effective spray pattern. Older lavatory faucets typically operate at 7 gpm, and most new models operate at 3.5 gpm. So by installing a low-flow aerator you can save a lot of water. Aerators are also available that can be turned on and off with the flick of a finger. Those types of aerators are great for lavatory basins because they are easy to use and they save water during teeth brushing, shaving, etc.
- Check out H2ouse.org: Water Saver Tour to advice on where and what to buy.
- To change your aerator, unscrew the old aerator or screen with a pair of pliers and thread on the new one. Tighten just enough to prevent leaks from the threaded connection.
- Low flow aerators mix air with the water to make an effective spray pattern. Some old style faucets will not accept an aerator. You can reduce the flow at these faucets by turning down the angle stop that is located under the basin. However, the spray pattern will not be as nice as with an aerator. Those old style basin faucets should be replaced since they use the most water.
[edit] Water conservation at the toilet.
Determine if your toilet has a leak by dropping a bit of dye or food coloring into the water tank. You'll know you've got leaky toilet if the color seeps into the bowl without flushing. According to the EPA, toilets account for almost one-third of indoor water consumption, primarily due to inefficient toilets.
Place a plastic bottle filled with water or sand in the tank to displace some of the water your toilet uses per flush. Be sure it doesn't obstruct the toilet mechanism. Inspect your flappers, which deteriorate with age. If necessary, replace the flapper and valve yourself, kits are available at most hardware stores . And if your toilet is in serious disrepair and the water leak cannot be fixed easily, consider replacing the toilet with a WaterSense-certified toilet. To significantly reduce water use, replace your old 5 gallon per flush toilet with a new 1.5 or 1.6 gallon per flush toilet. This is the most effective way to decrease the amount of water used in the bathroom. As an alternative to installing a new toilet, retrofit your old one with a water-saving device. Displacing volume in the tank means that less water is used for each flush. A clean, sealed plastic container filled with sand will work.
- Don't use a brick-pieces of decaying brick can get under the rubber flapper and cause leaks.
- Leaky toilets can waste a lot of water. Replace the rubber flapper in the tank every two to three years. If black coloring comes off on your hand when you touch the flapper, it's time to replace it!
- Be careful that your displacement device still allows a complete flush. With old tanks, less volume may mean less than a total flush.
- Flushing twice doesn't save water!
[edit] Using low flush toilet
To cut down on water waste, put an inch or two of sand or pebbles inside each of two plastic bottles to weigh them down. Fill the bottles with water, screw the lids on, and put them in your toilet tank, safely away from the operating mechanisms. Or, buy an inexpensive tank bank or float booster. This may save ten or more gallons of water per day.That's up to 300 gallons a month, even more for large families. Better yet, for even greater savings, replace your water-guzzling five to seven gallon a flush toilet with a one and a half gallon, ultra-low flush model.
Be sure at least 3 gallons of water remain in the tank so it will flush properly. If there is not enough water to get a proper flush, users will hold the lever down too long or do multiple flushes to get rid of waste. Two flushings at 1.4 gallons is worse than a single 2.0 gallon flush. A better suggestion would be to buy an adjustable toilet flapper that allow for adjustment of their per flush use. Then the user can adjust the flush rate to the minimum per flush setting that achieves a single good flush each time.
For new installations, consider buying "low flush" toilets, which use 1 to 2 gallons per flush instead of the usual 3 to 5 gallons.
Replacing an 18 liter per flush toilet with an ultra-low volume (ULV) 6 liter flush model represents a 70% savings in water flushed and will cut indoor water use by about 30%.
[edit] Dual-flush toilets
Dual-flush toilets have two options each time you flush. With the touch of a button, you select whether you're flushing liquid or solid waste; when it's number one, the toilet uses less water than number two.
Pros of dual flush toilets The smart design matches water use and function, so you don't have to use much water when you don't need it. Since they're functionally similar to conventional toilets, you can install them without any special plumbing or any design restrictions.
Cons of dual flush toilets They still use water -- it sounds odd to say it, but some toilets don't -- and they're more expensive than conventional toilets.
How green are dual-flush toilets? They're definitely a step up on the green scale from conventional low-flow toilets, but get beat out by some other options because they still use water. Still, they can be a significant improvement over conventional toilets.
More about dual-flush toilets
- Dual Flush Toilet by Caroma
- Flush: A Dual - Flush Retrofit for Your Favorite Bowl - Treehugger
- How Dual Flush Toilets Work
[edit] Install an Ultra Low-flush Toilet (ULFT)
- If you have an older style toilet, you could be using up to 40% of your indoor water use in toilet flushing. Older model toilets will use between 3.5 and 7 gallons per flush. ULFTs are proven technology and only use 1.6 gallons per flush.
- Over 50,000 ULFTs are in service in Santa Barbara and Goleta. Most models work very well, with no special problems. Go to H2ouse.org: Water Saver Tour for information on different models that work for you.
- A high quality ULFT can be purchased for approximately $100 - $150.
[edit] Keep Trash Out of the Toilet
Every time you flush a cigarette butt, facial tissue or other small bit of trash down the toilet, you waste five to seven gallons of water. Use the wastebasket for disposing of trash.
[edit] Composting Toilets
Composting toilets offer a big step forward in water conservation in the bathroom, but they're not perfect for everyone. They're something of a design revolution -- no water or sewer line required, a useful product (compost) instead of toxic sludge results at the end -- but that means that some places just aren't set up for them.
Pros of composting toilets They cut water out of the equation -- yep, that's essentially 0.0 gallons per flush -- and create compost, something most people can use in their gardens (and something the world can use more of, certainly). They're self-contained, don't require any plumbing, and, believe it or not, in a properly ventilated bathroom, don't smell at all.
Cons of composting toilets They aren't suitable for every bathroom, and do require some pretty regular maintenance -- like any compost creation, you'll have to add sawdust and perform other regular activities to keep them operating properly, and, of course, harvest the finished product. Because of these limitations, they may be best suited for a bathroom renovation, rather than a simple toilet replacement. Save your pennies, too -- some composting toilet models run into the thousands of dollars.
How green are composting toilets? Any time you can cut water use out of an equation, that's a game changer. Add the nutrient-rich product that composting toilets create, and you're looking at a solution that's about as green as it gets.
More about composting toilets
- Composting toilets: Ready for Prime Time? - Treehugger
- Renovation Nation 2: Saving Water With A Composting Toilet: Video
[edit] Waterless Urinals
Once relegated to airports and office buildings, urinals are gaining traction in residential settings now, too. It may seem a little odd, but they can save tons of water, and if you go with the waterless variety, you won't need any at all.Greenworks offer revolutionary waterless urinals to help save water in public and commercial toilets. As well as saving water, waterless urinals offer key advantages over conventional water flushing urinals, including cheaper installation, easier maintenance and better hygiene.On average, a waterless urinal helps to save 150,000 litres of water a year: a massive saving of an increasingly scarce and expensive resource. The reduced odour and greater hygiene make them ideal for use in commercial environments.
Pros of waterless urinals
Replacing water with a more viscous liquid, waterless urinals don't need any water at all to "flush," which makes a lot of sense since you're getting rid of liquid waste (a lot of which is water). Conventional urinals can be easily replaced with environmentally friendly waterless systems, cutting water bills.The waterless system is far cheaper to install and run than a flush sensor system.Waterless urinals eliminate costly flush valve repairs, floods and overflows.
Cons of waterless urinals
Many -- but not all -- are designed with men in mind, so it can be tricky to find one that meets the needs of both genders at once. And though they're water-free, there's still liquid involved, which requires upkeep, maintenance, and materials that you can't usually get at the corner grocery.
How do they work?
Waterless urinals are plumbed into the waste lines but do not require a water supply. The surface of the urinal bowl is urine-repellent. The urine drains away effectively without any need for a flush. The urinal requires no more cleaning that a conventional system.To eliminate odours, the conventional urinal trap seal is replaced with a disposable one. This contains a specially formulated liquid to trap odours in the bowl and block out nasty sewer smells.
How green are waterless urinals?
Like composting toilets, cutting water out of the flushing equation make it a much greener process than conventional toilets. It probably isn't quite as green as peeing on your tomato plants, but using waterless urinals is a lot more convenient.
More about waterless urinals
- No Splash, No Flush Urinals from Kohler - Tree hugger
- Small Business Owners: Relieve Water Shortages With Waterless Urinal - Planet Green
[edit] Water conservation at the sink
Fill bowl with water instead of letting water run when you wash, brush teeth or shave. Repair leaks, attend to drips promptly. Install water saving devices. Try a faucet aerator to reduce amount of water used.
Also for drinking-
Supplying small disposable paper cups in the bathroom makes more efficient use of water than sticking one’s head in the sink or drinking out of cupped hands held under the running faucet.
[edit] Turn off water while brushing your teeth or shaving
When we leave the faucet turned on while we are brushing our teeth, we more or less leave it for at least 2 minutes although most people brush their teeth for more minutes but let’s just say, it’s 2 minutes. For those 2 minutes of brushing while the faucet if left open, the water that comes out is 2 gallons.
Now, we don’t brush only once a day. In the house, we usually brush our teeth in the morning and in the evening before we sleep. So that will be 4 gallons of water when we brush with the faucet open in the morning and the evening.
Let’s say there are 5 of us in the household, so that 20 gallons of water wasted every day by not turning the faucet off while brushing teeth. 20 gallons of water wasted every day for the whole year is 7,300 gallons.
That’s only for one household. Let’s just say there are 1 million households with 5 members who do not turn off the faucet while brushing every morning and every evening everyday. That will be 7,300,000,000 or 7.3 billion gallons of water being wasted every year. During drought season or when the El Nino comes, this is enough to water acres of farming lands. This is enough water to prevent famine in the poorest places of the country when the dry season comes.
Small things can really add up to big things. Turn off water while brushing your teeth.By turning off the water after your toothbrush is wet, you save as many minutes of running water as you spend brushing your teeth, which can help with bathroom water conservation. You can fill a glass or paper cup for rinse water.
[edit] Water conservation at the Tap
Studies reveal that a running tap uses up to 6 litres of water per minute. So when people are brushing their teeth twice a day for two minutes each time, just imagine how much water is being wasted by leaving the tap running: 24 litres a day, 168 litres a week, 8,736 litres a year for each member of a household. Greenworks are tackling the issue of how much water is being wasted by running taps by providing water saving tap solutions for both residential and commercial/trade needs.Water saving taps are suitable for both domestic and commercial use and could help to save your home or business thousands of litres of water every month.
What are the Benefits?
- Greenworks' water conserving taps use ceramic disc (CD) cartridge technology that are resistant to scratches and do not leak like ordinary washered taps.
- Water conserving taps are fitted with CLICK cartridge technology, which discourages wasteful use of water. The cartridge creates resistance so the tap isn't activated fully. This restricts water flow to around 50% and mixes air with the water to reduce splashing.
- Water saving taps could drastically cut your water bills, especially when used in conjunction with other water-saving products such as water-saving toilets and showers.
[edit] Using Sensor taps
Sensomatic gives you a variety of sensor taps to choose from for your convenience. All the sensor taps provided by Sensomatic ensure the conservation of water and are made of materials that are durable and resistant to wear and tear over duration of time. Sensor taps are the automatic taps that can be easily be used in washrooms of hospitals, offices and air ports. They are so easy to install that we can put them without drilling the wall. They are so well designed that they can control infection and can save water and energy both. They have safe self locking system which locks after 1 minute of water supply thus avoiding the wastage of water which was previously 50 to 80 percent during washing hands and brushing.
Sensor taps are very hygiene because there is no fear of germs contact and cross contamination. They are highly protected and resist moisture and provide pre-mix values which allow us to use both hot and cold water.
Normally, we would often forget to turn off the taps in our bathroom and on the basins which leads to enormous wastage the water. To overcome this we should use sensor taps which operate on mere hand movement in the air – water starts to flow down as and when hands are put close enough to the tap to sense it. They also have liquid level indicators which produce sound to signal a person that water in the basin has reached to certain level and that tap should be switched off.
Sensor taps can be operated in two ways: First one is by Electrical, in which we have to put our hands close to the ray sensor to let the tap dispense water immediately. In this there is no electronic button or touch to start the tap. It has distance sensing systems which are fully automatic. Second one is by Battery; in this also we have to put our hands close to the ray sensor to have water. It has power supply from stabilized power supply and 12V rechargeable battery. It has automatic commutation from 230V to 12 DC which makes sure that there is water supply in the case of power cut.
Features of Sensor Taps
It is designed in such a way that it is clean and hygienic.
- It stops automatically after a time gap and hence we can save water.
- It is easy to operate, easy to install and easy on maintenance.
- It has sensing system which works from the distance of 23 - 24 cm.
- It is very much beneficial for hospitals and public washrooms.
[edit] Water conservation at the Tub or Shower
Take shallow baths and plug the drain before you run water. Keep showers short with pressure at low force. Re-use bath water to water your lawn or shrubs or for heavy cleaning jobs like floors or cars. Install water-saving devices. Use a low-flow shower head, flow restrictor or cut off valve (lets you shut off water at shower head while soaping up and shampooing without changing the faucet setting). Shortening shower length is another way to save water, as is showering in place of bathing in the tub. Filling a bathtub may take 2 ½ times as much water as is used in a 5-minute shower. Some showerheads now feature “pause” as a setting, allowing you to turn off the water while you lather, or, if you shave in the shower, while you ply your razor. To save water while showering, install a low-flow showerhead. New designs range from 1.5 to 2.5 gallons per minute and still provide a powerful stream of water. Some models allow you to temporarily turn off the water without changing the water temperature. To install a new showerhead, simply unscrew the old one and screw on the new one using Teflon tape to seal the threads. Be careful not to unscrew plumbing fixtures inside the wall!
Other lifestyle choices will help save water while bathing:
- Take short showers instead of baths.
- Take shorter showers or shower less often.
- Don't run the water full force when showering.
- Turn the shower off while soaping or shaving.
- Keep the water shallow when using the tub.
Baths can sometimes actually save water compared with long showers. A showerhead that delivers 5 gallons per minute means that a shower longer than 8 minutes uses more water than a typical full bathtub (40 gallons).
More about low-flow shower heads
Eco- Showerhead - The Real Deal From Real Goods - Treehugger
How to Install a Low Flow Shower Head - Planet Green
Buy Green: Shower Head - Planet Green
[edit] Using bathtub
Why not take a shower? The difference in water consumption between a shower and a bath is staggering. Generally speaking, it takes 70 gallons of water to fill a bathtub. Alternatively, a short shower requires approximately 25 gallons.
If bath time is your favorite time, don't let precious water resources go down the drain. Either adopt the eco-friendly habit of taking a more shallow bath or put the stopper in the drain and adjust the water temperature as the bathtub fills (to it's shallow water level).Try washing both of your youngsters in the same tub of water if they are not too dirty. This saves water and can be fun for the kids. Re-use bath water for plants and for heavy cleaning jobs.
[edit] Water conservation using hot Water
Insulate water pipes to get hot water faster and avoid wasting water while it reaches the correct temperature Install an on-demand or tankless hot water heater You can reduce your hot water use by investing in an on-demand or tank less hot water heater. This type of hot water heater heats the water as you need it rather than storing water in a tank.
Insulate Hot Water Pipes- Insulating your hot water pipes will reduce losses as the hot water is flowing to your faucet and, more importantly, it will reduce standby losses when the tap is turned off and then back on within an hour or so. A great deal of energy and water is wasted waiting for the hot water to reach the tap. Even when pipes are insulated, the water in the pipes will eventually cool, but it stays warmer much longer than it would if the pipes weren’t insulated.
Conserve Water- Your biggest opportunity for savings is to use less hot water. In addition to saving energy (and money), cutting down on hot water use helps conserve dwindling water supplies, which in some parts of the country is a critical problem. A family of four each showering five minutes a day can use about 700 gallons per week—a three-year drinking water supply for one person! Water-conserving showerheads and faucet aerators can cut hot water use in half. That family of four can save 14,000 gallons of water a year and the energy required to heat it.
Tankless water heaters are often referred to as, "on-demand water heating," because it does not store heated water. Once the faucet is opened, water flows into the heater where a sensor turns on the heat exchanger or heating coils. Water flows through the heating coils, it is heated to the desired temperature. Once the faucet is closed, the sensor automatically shuts down the heating coils. The entire process takes about 5 seconds to heat the water initially.
Since there is no standby loss, tankless heaters can be more energy efficient than their counterparts. Other advantages to tankless water heaters are that they do not waste water since water is heated almost immediately. Also, you will not run out of hot water in the middle of a shower. Since tankless heater are smaller and do not hold water, their life span is 20 years, twice its counterpart's.
[edit] Exploring grey water technology
Grey Water" is wastewater collected from clothes washers, bathtubs, showers, and laundry or bathroom sinks.
If properly collected and stored, it can be safely re-used, thereby reducing fresh water consumption. Reuse of Grey water can also reduce the load on septic tanks and leach fields.
Grey water is defined as waste water from the bathroom, laundry room and kitchen sink. It differs from black water which is waste water from toilets. It is possible to separate grey water and reuse it to irrigate plants, but it can also be treated and reused to flush toilets and provide shower and bathroom sink water. Black water can never be reused because of its nitrogen and pathogen levels. Additionally, water from the kitchen sink should not be recycled because of the garbage disposal which also adds nitrogen to the water. Water from the laundry, the shower and tub and the bathroom sinks, however, with the right system in place can be redirected, treated and reused for laundry, showers and hand washing. Abundance of Grey Water
By some estimates, up to 65 percent of all water used domestically is grey water. This means that to put a grey water storage and treatment system into place could cut your water bill by more than 50 percent if you reuse it for laundry and showers. Depending on what the grey water contains will help determine how it can be reused, whether that is for irrigation purposes or for recycling it through your bathrooms and laundry rooms. Grey Water in the Bathroom
If you want to be able to reuse grey water in your bathrooms, it requires a considerable amount of investment and work. A system must be put in place to channel the grey water through a filter and into a storage tank. You may also have to disinfect the grey water before it can be used in the shower, sinks or laundry. Treatment
The type and scope of the treatment system you end up putting into place will depend upon several factors. These include the amount of grey water you wish to reuse, the number and type of contaminants present in the water before reuse and how you plan on reusing it. It is possible to reuse the water you use in the bathroom, but filters and disinfectant procedures must be in place. Simple filters can separate hair and other debris from the usable water while disinfectants such as chlorine or iodine are necessary to kill any bacteria present. Installation
The installation of a grey water system in your home requires the proper draining of the used water through a filter, into a disinfectant tank and into another tank for reuse. There are numerous ways to design and implement a grey water system that will depend upon your specific needs and the geography of your home. It is important to determine how you wish to reuse grey water first then set about implementing the system. Consider it carefully, for if you wish to alter your plans once the system is in place, it might be difficult to adjust.
You can reuse much of the water cycled through your home. A majority of it is called grey water–water used in the laundry, kitchen, showers and sinks. With the right system in place, water can be filtered, treated and recycled through the system and reused in the bathroom for showers, baths and sinks.
[edit] Saving Calculator
- Save water and energy with smart technology
How can Hansgrohe EcoSmart products help you lower your energy and water costs?
Calculate your personal savings potential with the Hansgrohe savings calculator.
With the advanced EcoSmart technology Hansgrohe showers and fittings will not only help you to lower your water and energy expenses, but also to handle water and energy in a more responsible manner. Find out more about EcoSmart showers and EcoSmart mixers.
How much water do you use? Estimate the number of times you do the following on a day you are at home. Shower Flush the toilet Brush your teeth Shave Do a load of laundry Run the dishwasher
Every consumer should have an idea of how much water they use. A good way to calculate your water use is to add up the number of times your activities use water. For example, how many showers do you take a day and how often do you flush the toilet? Estimate your family’s water use.
Estimated daily water use 1 x Shower 25 gallons = 2.5 gpm x 10 minutes 4 x Flush 32 gallons = 8 gallons x 4 flushes [2 x Brush teeth] + [1 x Shave] 15 gallons = 3 gpm x 5 minutes 1 x laundry 41 gallons 1 x dishwasher 15 gallons TOTAL = 128 Gallons
Water Saver or Water Waster? Here is an example of one consumer’s water use over one day. This consumer took 1 shower, flushed the toilet four times, brushed his teeth twice, shaved once and did a load of laundry and one of dishes. To get a good estimate you need to know how much water your shower, faucets, toilet, washing machine and dishwasher use. Include all family members to get a household estimate then divide by the number of people in your house. For example, if two people lived in this house and used a total of their water use would be 64 gallons per person (for a total of 128 gallons).
