Home water use

Water Footprint Calculator

Tell the calculator how your household uses water: showers, toilet flushes, faucets, appliances and the garden. It estimates the gallons or liters used per day, per person and per year, and shows where the most goes.

Units

People in household

Leaks (gal per day)

Bathroom (per person)

Shower minutes per day

Shower flow (gpm)

Toilet flushes per day

Water per flush (gal)

Faucet minutes per day

Faucet flow (gpm)

Household (per week)

Baths per week

Water per bath (gal)

Dishwasher loads per week

Water per dishwasher load (gal)

Laundry loads per week

Water per laundry load (gal)

Garden watering minutes per week

Hose / sprinkler flow (gpm)

—Gallons per day

—Per person per day

—Per year

Calculated on your device. Nothing is uploaded to a server.

How household water use is estimated

Direct water use is the water that flows through your taps and appliances. The calculator multiplies each habit by a flow rate or volume. Showers use minutes × flow rate. Toilets use flushes × liters or gallons per flush. Appliances use loads per week × water per load. Everything is converted to a daily household total. Modern fixtures use much less water than older ones. A WaterSense showerhead uses 2.0 gpm (7.6 L/min) or less, compared with 2.5 gpm or more for older heads. High-efficiency toilets use 1.28 gallons (4.8 L) per flush, compared with 3.5 or more for toilets made before the 1990s.

Typical use

US residents use about 82 gallons (310 liters) per person per day at home. Many European households use 120 to 150 liters.

Quick wins

Fix leaks, shorten showers, run full dishwasher and laundry loads, and water the garden early in the morning to reduce evaporation.

Water Footprint Calculator FAQ

How do I measure my shower flow rate?

Hold a bucket under the shower for 10 seconds and measure the water. Multiply by 6 to get the flow per minute.

Does this include the water in food and products?

No. This calculator covers direct household use. The "virtual" water used to grow food and make products is much larger and is estimated differently.

How much water do leaks waste?

A dripping faucet or running toilet can waste tens of gallons a day. Check your meter when no water is in use to spot hidden leaks.

Why is my garden so high?

A garden hose typically flows 5 to 10 gpm (20 to 40 L/min), so even an hour a week adds up. Drip irrigation uses far less.

Can I switch between gallons and liters?

Yes. Your values are converted automatically when you switch units.