In 1997, the American Water Works Association Research Foundation conducted a study of over 2,000 homes in order to find out how water was being used indoors. This was one of the largest, most comprehensive water use studies performed.
The information from the study showed that toilets and clothes washers account for most of the indoor water use in a typical household. The charts below show water use in both a household with and without water efficient fixtures.
Without water efficient fixtures, the daily use per person is 60 gallons a day. Households that install water efficient fixtures can reduce their daily use to about 40 gallons a day per person! Installing water efficient devices is a great way to lower water use without changing any of your daily habits. Keep reading below for more information on water saving devices.
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Most people think that 60 gallons per person per day is not a lot of water. But it is! Here's some information on how much water each fixture uses.
Visit the www.h2ouse.org for more information on both indoor and outdoor water use.
| Water Fixture |
Water Use and Water Saving Tips |
| Low-Flow Showerheads |
Low-flow showerheads use 2.5 gallons per minute or less.
Try to limit your showers to 5 minutes or less.
To see how much water you use in the shower, time yourself. Then multiply the number of minutes times 2.5 gallons if you have a low-flow showerhead. If you're not sure what your showerhead is rated at, put a 5-gallon bucket in the shower and measure the time it takes to fill up the bucket. Then divide the number of minutes it takes to fill into 5 gallons to get the gallons per minute. |
| High-Efficiency Toilets |
Toilets can use the most water in a home. Toilets that were installed prior to 1999 can use over 5 gallons per flush!
High-efficiency toilets use 1.28 gallons per flush or less.
To calculate how much water your toilet uses in a day:
- Check your toilet to see how many gallons per flush (gpf) that it uses. This is usually stamped on the toilet between the tank and the lid.
- Multiply the gallons per flush times the number of flushes per day.
|
| High-Efficiency Washing Machines |
The national average for washing machines is about 40 gallons per load.
Newer, efficient washing machines use only about 23 gallons per load - that's almost half as much as older machines.
Always remember these tips:
- Wash full loads of laundry for the most efficiency.
- Pre-treat stains - this avoids re-washing and will allow you to select the shortest wash cycle.
- Use cold water whenever possible - this will help save money on energy costs for heating water.
- Check your wsher hoses for cracks that may be causing leaks.
|
| Dishwashers |
Dishwashers can use between 8 to 15 gallons of water for each load.
High-efficiency dishwashers use less water than traditional ones, anywhere from 5 to 7 gallons of water.
Washing dishes by hand typically uses more water than a dishwasher does.
Always wash full loads of dishes. |
| Faucets and Faucet Aerators |
The flow of kitchen and bathroom faucets can vary. On average, the flow of a household faucet is 1.3 gallons per minute.
Faucet aerators are a device that adds air into the water stream. This can help to increase the water pressure through the faucet while decreasing the amount of water coming through.
Installing aerators on bathroom and kitchen sinks is a simple, inexpensive way to reduce water use inside your home. And, aerators help reduce your energy costs because they help to reduce the amount of hot water that is used. |
Visit the www.h2ouse.org for more information on both indoor and outdoor water use.
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The Corona Department of Water & Power offers rebates towards the purchase of these indoor water-saving devices:
- High-Efficiency Clothes Washers - $200
- High-Efficiency Toilets - $50
The Corona Department of Water & Power also provides the following water-efficient devices - FREE of charge to our customers:
- Low-flow shower heads - 2 gallons per minute
- Bathroom faucet aerators - 1 gallon per minute
- Kitchen faucet aerators - 1.5 gallons per minute
- 5-minute shower timers - help to keep you on track to a short shower
- Toilet-dye tabs - to test for water leaks
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The best way to tell if you have a water leak is to look at your water meter.
- Make sure all your water fixtures, inside and out, are turned off.
- Check the meter to see if the leak detector dial is moving. This is a red or black dial next to the number dials.
Not sure where the leak is coming from? Here's some places to check first:
- Test your toilets for leaks using food coloring or our free dye tabs.
- Check all of your faucets indoors to make sure that they are not leaking.
- Look at your sprinkler system and valves to check for broken sprinkler heads or leaky valves.
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A leaky toilet can waste between 30 to 500 gallons of water per day!
Check your toilet for leaks! Just because it doesn't make a noise doesn't mean that it's not leaking. Here's a simple way to check to see if your toilet is leaking:
- Remove the lid and place a few drops of food dye into the tank.
- Wait 15 minutes.
- Check the bowl to see if there is food coloring in the bowl. If so, you have a leaky toilet!
Don't have food coloring? Call the Corona Department of Water & Power's Water Resources Group at (951) 736-2234 or e-mail them at StopTheDrop@discovercorona.com for some free dye tabs to use in your home.
If you have a leak, all is not lost. Most of the time the leak can be fixed simply by replacing the flapper valve located in the toilet tank. Flapper valves can be purchased at most home improvement stores here in Corona.
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If you need assistance, please contact the Corona Department of Water & Power at (951) 736-2234 or e-mail StopTheDrop@ci.corona.ca.us.