How many gallons does a person use a day

When most people in the US want fresh, clean water, all they have to do is turn on a faucet. Still, no place is immune from drought, so it’s important to be conservative with your water use at home, no matter where you live.

On average in the US, water use at home (water from the tap, toilet, dishwasher, etc.) adds up to about 138 gallons per household per day, or 60 gallons per person per day.

American Water Use at Home – How Many Gallons do We Use?

Recent studies of how Americans use water throughout their homes show that, for most people, indoor water use is highest in the bathroom, followed by the laundry room. Table 1 provides a breakdown.

Table 1. A daily breakdown of water use in the US:

Leaks are, perhaps, the most surprising use of water on this list – they amount to 18 gallons of water per household per day lost to leaky toilets, appliances and faucets.

Saving Water with Water-Efficient Toilets, Showerheads and More

Fortunately, saving water around the house is easier now than ever before. Switching to water-saving fixtures and appliances can reduce indoor water use by twenty percent. The Environmental Protection Agency’s WaterSense website lists many water-saving products. The Department of Energy’s ENERGY STAR label also has an extensive list of energy- and water-saving appliances, like dishwashers and washing machines.

Newer bathroom fixtures and appliances like toilets, showerheads and faucets are designed to be more water-efficient than older models and can save hundreds of gallons a month. For example, older toilets use up to six gallons per flush, whereas low-flow toilets (or any toilet manufactured after 1994) use 1.6 gallons or less. Likewise, older showerheads flow well over the federal limit of 2.5 gallons per minute, while low-flow models can flow no higher than two gallons per minute. Some shower fixtures, especially those with multiple nozzles, exceed the federal limit, so these fixtures require reduced shower time in order to save water.

Likewise, newer dishwashers and clothes washers use water much more efficiently than older models. Water efficient dishwashers save more than 5,000 gallons of water per year compared with washing dishes by hand (and use less than half as much energy, too). Newer washing machines handle much bigger loads of clothing with much less water. A full-sized ENERGY STAR-certified clothes washer uses 13 gallons of water per load, compared to the 23 gallons used by a standard machine, saving over 3,000 gallons of water per year.

With a little bit of research, water- and energy-saving products can be purchased that provide enhanced performance, help save on water bills and have the added benefit of saving water for future generations. If new appliances aren’t in the budget, significant water savings can still be achieved just by finding and fixing leaks.

Heating and Cooling Are Water (and Energy) Hogs!

Because it takes a lot of water to make electricity, water heating can be a big energy user – it’s right up there with heating and cooling and running appliances, electronics and lighting. Those long, hot showers feel good but they waste both water and energy, and although modern fixtures and appliances are a great way to save gallons, it’s still important to simply turn off the tap.

Read about how much water it takes to manufacture all of your consumer goods.

Why Save Water?

• According to a 2014 Government Accountability Report, 40 out of 50 state water managers expect water shortages under average conditions in some portion of their states over the next decade.
• Each American uses an average of 82 gallons of water a day at home (USGS, Estimated Use of Water in the United States in 2015).
• We can all use at least 20 percent less water by installing water-efficient fixtures and appliances.
• The average family spends more than $1,000 per year in water costs, but can save more than $380 annually from retrofitting with WaterSense labeled fixtures and ENERGY STAR certified appliances.

WaterSense & Water Savings

• WaterSense labels products that are 20 percent more water-efficient and perform as well as or better than standard models.
• The average family can save 13,000 gallons of water and $130 in water costs per year by replacing all old, inefficient toilets in their home with WaterSense labeled models.
• Replacing old, inefficient bathroom faucets and aerators with WaterSense labeled models can save the average family $250 in water and electricity costs over the faucets' lifetime.
• Replacing showerheads with WaterSense labeled models can reduce the average family's water and electricity costs by $70 and can save the average family more than 2,700 gallons of water per year, equal to the amount of water needed to wash 88 loads of laundry.
• Giving a home's main bathroom a high-efficiency makeover by installing a WaterSense labeled toilet, showerhead, and faucet aerator can pay for itself in as little as 1 year.
• Replacing a clock-based controller with a WaterSense labeled irrigation controller can reduce an average home's irrigation water use by up to 30 percent and can save an average home up to 15,000 gallons of water annually.

Water Stats

• The average family can waste 180 gallons per week, or 9,400 gallons of water annually, from household leaks. That's equivalent to the amount of water needed to wash more than 300 loads of laundry.
• Household leaks can waste approximately nearly 900 billion gallons of water annually nationwide. That's equal to the annual household water use of nearly 11 million homes.
• Running the dishwasher only when it's full can eliminate one load of dishes per week and save the average family nearly 320 gallons of water annually.
• Turning off the tap while brushing your teeth can save 8 gallons of water per day and, while shaving, can save 10 gallons of water per shave. Assuming you brush your teeth twice daily and shave 5 times per week, you could save nearly 5,700 gallons per year.
• Letting your faucet run for five minutes while washing dishes can waste 10 gallons of water and uses enough energy to power a 60-watt light bulb for 18 hours.
• Outdoor water use accounts for more than 30 percent of total household water use, on average, but can be as much as 60 percent of total household water use in arid regions.
• If the average sized lawn in the United States is watered for 20 minutes every day for 7 days, it’s like running the shower constantly for 4 days or taking more than 800 showers. That's equivalent to the amount of water needed for the average family to take 1 year's worth of showers.
• As much as 50 percent of the water we use outdoors is lost due to wind, evaporation, and runoff caused by inefficient irrigation methods and systems. A household with an automatic landscape irrigation system that isn't properly maintained and operated can waste up to 25,000 gallons of water annually.
• When hiring a professional to install or audit your landscape irrigation system, be sure he or she is certified by a WaterSense labeled irrigation program. If the system is well managed, a household's irrigation water use can be reduced by 15 percent, or nearly 7,600 gallons of water, annually. That's the amount of water needed to take 480 showers.

* Other data and information used by WaterSense is available . Please contact the WaterSense Helpline at  or (866) WTR-SENS (987-7367) if you are interested in learning the sources for these statistics and facts.