Conserving Water Home Water Use Audit
Household Use More than 70% of indoor use occurs in the bathroom, and more than 20% occurs in the kitchen and laundry room
Average Use Shower25-50 gallons (5-10 gal/min.) Tub/Bath36 gallons full Toilet Flush5-7 gallons (regular) Brushing Teeth5 gallons (running water) Hand Washing 3 gallons (running water) Shaving 3-5 gallons (running water) Washing Machine55 gallons/use Dishwashing 20 gallons (by hand) and 15 gallons- dishwasher
Conservation Ideas Shower- (turn off water when soaping up) Tub/Bath- don’t fill up Toilet Flush- buy a low-flow toilet Brushing teeth- don’t let water run! Hand washing- in a bowl or basin Dishwasher/Laundry- only use when full
Low-Flow Toilet- Saves 5-10 gallons per day
Low-Flow Faucet- Saves 86 gallons per day
Turn off your faucet When brushing your teeth or shaving- turning off the faucet can save 4-10 gallons per day! Fix a leaky faucet (small drips can waste as much as 7 gallons of water per day!) Turn off shower when soaping up- can save up to gallons of water
Outdoor Water Use Don’t water lawn for more than 30 minutes Water in cooler hours- before 9am or 6pm Rake or sweep hardscapes- don’t hose them off Landscape your yard using drought/salt tolerant plants- native to San Diego
Wasting Water
Native Landscapes
Average Use The average Californian uses gallons of water per day! The average adult needs only 2.5 quarts of water a day to maintain health With a few simple steps, a typical family can save 50,000 to 100,000 gallons of water each year!
Home Water Audit Purpose: Conduct a home water audit- how much water do you and your family/homemates use? Do you have any simple ways to conserve water? How can this information be used to help with water issues in the West?