Your Family’s Water Usage

Think you’ve got your family’s water usage under control?  You may be surprised to learn that you could be using more than you think! Many of our morning routines include time spent in the bathroom showering, brushing our teeth, and using the toilet.  These are simple morning rituals that don’t seem to take too much time, right?  Well, that quick 15 minutes spent in the bathroom showering, brushing your teeth, and using the toilet can use up to 25 gallons of water!  Here is the breakdown:

Shower

The average shower is around 8.2 minutes long and it typically uses 17.2 gallons of water (HomeWaterWorks).

Brushing Teeth

Dentists recommend spending at least 2 minutes brushing your teeth, and if you keep the water running that entire time you can use up to 8 gallons of it (Southwest Florida Water Management District).

Toilet Flushing

Toilets actually account for the greatest amount of water usage in homes!  Flushing an older toilet can use around 3.6 gallons of water per flush (HomeWaterWorks).

This means that in a 4 person family, 100 gallons of water could be used just to get ready each morning.  This doesn’t even include laundry, dishwashing, or water used for drinking or food prep.

These numbers are dependent on individual habits and on the efficiency of shower heads, faucets, and toilets in each home.  If you would like to get a more exact idea of how much water your family uses, check out this Water Use Calculator from Southwest Florida Water Management District.

So, how can we reduce the water usage in our homes?

1. Turn the water off when it is not needed– do not keep the sink running while you are brushing your teeth or washing your face.  You can even turn the shower off while soaping and shampooing and turn it back on again to rinse.
2. Invest in energy efficient plumbing-Low flow toilets and shower heads can significantly lower the water usage in your home.
3. Shorten the time-A shorter shower will use less water than a longer one!

If you would like to learn more about energy efficient plumbing options, contact FLAME!