How many gallons of water does a normal household use

How many gallons of water does a normal household use

The Average Daily Water Usage Per Person Day is 10 CF (10 CF=75 gallons).  This Average includes laundry, dishwashing, bathing, showering and all inside household water use. Example: If you have 4 people living at your home, your daily average is 40 Cubic Feet each day (40 cubic feet=300 gallons).

How many gallons of water does a normal household use

The Earth might seem like it has abundant water, but in fact less than 1 percent is available for human use. The rest is either salt water found in oceans, fresh water frozen in the polar ice caps, or too inaccessible for practical usage. While population and demand on freshwater resources are increasing, supply will always remain constant. And although it's true that the water cycle continuously returns water to Earth, it is not always returned to the same place, or in the same quantity and quality.

On this page:

  • The Water Around Us
  • Water in Daily Life
  • Understanding your Own Water Use
  • Commercial, Industrial, Agricultural & Electricity Water Use
  • Communities Face Challenges to Meet Demand
  • Droughts Create Stress
  • Less Water Affects the Environment

The Water Around Us

Water plays a big role in supporting our communities. Without water there would be no local business or industry. Fire-fighting, municipal parks, and public swimming pools all need lots of water. An array of pipes, canals, and pumping stations managed by our public water systems are needed to bring a reliable supply of water to our taps each day.

Where does all this water come from? It starts out as rain or snow and flows into our local lakes, rivers, and streams or into underground aquifers. You can learn more about water in your state, including how it is being protected and where your local drinking water comes from.

  • How is water used in my state?
  • EPA water data and tools

Water in Daily Life

How many gallons of water does a normal household use

In the US, we are lucky to have easy access to some of the safest treated water in the world—just by turning on the tap. We wake up in the morning, take a shower, brush our teeth, grab a cup of coffee, and head out for the day. Water is an important part of our daily lives and we use it for a wide variety of purposes, but do we really understand how much we use?

  • The average American family uses more than 300 gallons of water per day at home. Roughly 70 percent of this use occurs indoors.
  • Nationally, outdoor water use accounts for 30 percent of household use yet can be much higher in drier parts of the country and in more water-intensive landscapes. For example, the arid West has some of the highest per capita residential water use because of landscape irrigation.

Understanding Your Own Water Use

An easy to way to understand individual water use is to look at your water bill—not just the amount due, but how much water you used. Once you understand how much you use, the WaterSense calculator can help determine how much water your household could save if you switched to more efficient, WaterSense labeled products.

  • Understanding Your Water Bill
  • WaterSense Calculator

Commercial, Industrial, Agricultural & Electricity Water Use

It’s easy to forget that we also use water in ways we don't see every day. Water is used to grow our food, manufacture our favorite goods, and keep our businesses running smoothly. We also use a significant amount of water to meet the nation's energy needs. Learn more about what WaterSense is doing to help reduce commercial and institutional water use.

How many gallons of water does a normal household use

Communities Face Challenges to Meet Demand

Managing water is a growing concern in the US. Communities across the country are starting to face challenges regarding water supply and a need to update aging water treatment and delivery systems, sometimes referred to as "water infrastructure.” Many of the states that have projected population growth increases also have higher per capita water use and can expect increased competition for water resources.  Forty states told the Government Accountability Office in a 2014 report  that they expected to have water shortages over the next ten years that were not related to drought.  

Strains on water supplies and our aging water treatment systems can lead to a variety of consequences for communities, such as:

  • Higher water prices to ensure continued access to a reliable and safe supply
  • Increased summer watering restrictions to manage shortages
  • Seasonal loss of recreational areas like lakes and rivers when the human demand for water conflicts with environmental needs
  • Expensive water treatment projects to transport and store freshwater when local demand overcomes available capacity

How many gallons of water does a normal household use

Droughts Create Stress

Droughts happen somewhere in the country every year and climate change has the potential to increase stress on water resources. To create a more sustainable water future, cities and states are coming together to encourage water conservation and efficiency as a way to reduce demand.

  • Understand how to save water during droughts

Less Water Affects the Environment

How many gallons of water does a normal household use

When reservoir water levels get lower and ground water tables drop, water supplies, human health, and the environment are put at serious risk. For example, lower water levels can contribute to higher concentrations of natural and human pollutants.

Less water going down the drain means more water available in the lakes, rivers and streams that we use for recreation and wildlife uses to survive. Using water more efficiently helps maintain supplies at safe levels, protecting human health and the environment.

Water suppliers are doing their part to help their customers save water with programs like WaterSense and are also working to improve water efficiency for their own operations.

  • Using Water Efficiently-Ideas for Utilities
  • Water efficiency strategies

How many gallons of water does the average household use monthly?

What is Average? The water industry estimates that an average person uses 3,000 gallons of water monthly, so a family of 4 would use 12,000 gallons for bathing, cooking, washing, recreation and watering. But a lot of factors come into play when calculating average use.

How many gallons of water does a household of 4 use per day?

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.

How many gallons of water does a family of 3 use?

For example, let's assume you're a household of three and you used 6,000 gallons in March. What's typical? Estimates vary. The folks at Water Footprint Calculator say the average at-home water use is 60 gallons per person per day.