Water usage varies significantly between households. The amount of water used depends on factors like house size, number of residents, appliances, behaviors around conservation, and more. While national averages provide a general benchmark, the optimal water usage for a home depends on its unique characteristics.
Quick Answer
The average household uses 300-400 gallons of water per day. For a 30-day month, that equals 9,000-12,000 gallons.
Average Water Usage
According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the average American household uses roughly 300 gallons of water per day or 11,000 gallons per month. This includes indoor and outdoor water use.
Here is how those 300 gallons break down on a daily basis:
- Toilets: 27%
- Showers: 22%
- Faucets: 16%
- Clothes Washers: 14%
- Leaks: 13%
- Other domestic uses: 8%
Outdoor watering of lawns and gardens accounts for about 30% of household water use nationwide, which adds up to about 9,000 gallons per month. However, in drier western states, outdoor use can be as high as 60% since more irrigation is needed for landscaping.
Indoor Water Use
For indoor use only, the average drops to about 200 gallons daily or 6,000 gallons monthly. Here is how an average 4-person household might consume 200 gallons indoors each day:
| Use | Gallons Per Day |
| Showers | 40 |
| Clothes washer | 25 |
| Dishwasher | 15 |
| Toilets | 45 |
| Baths | 20 |
| Leaks | 15 |
| Faucets | 35 |
| Other (cooking, cleaning, etc) | 5 |
| Total | 200 |
Factors That Increase Water Usage
While the average is around 300 gallons per day, several factors can cause a home’s water use to be significantly higher:
- House size – Larger homes require more water for additional bathrooms, faucets, appliances, etc.
- Number of residents – More residents equals more showers, toilet flushes, laundry loads, etc.
- Swimming pools – A pool requires thousands of gallons of water to fill plus more for ongoing top-offs.
- Lush landscaping – Thirsty lawns, gardens, and trees need frequent irrigation.
- Leaks – Leaking faucets, showers, toilets, and pipes waste large amounts of water.
- Long showers – Taking extra long showers consumes more hot water.
- Inefficient appliances – Older appliances like washers and dishwashers use more water.
- Evaporation – In hot, dry climates water evaporates faster from pools, spas, and landscaping.
Factors That Decrease Water Usage
On the other hand, some factors allow households to use less than the average 300 gallons per day:
- Small home size – Less demand from fewer bathrooms, smaller lawn, etc.
- Fewer occupants – Single or dual occupancy homes use less water.
- No pool – Pools can consume thousands of gallons monthly.
- Low-maintenance landscape – Gravel, rock, drought-tolerant plants = less irrigation.
- Preventing leaks – Fixing minor drips saves surprising amounts long-term.
- Short showers – Reducing shower length conserves hot water.
- Efficient appliances – Newer washers, dishwashers, etc. use less water.
- Cooler climate – Less evaporation and landscape watering needed.
- Conservation habits – Practices like turning off faucets while brushing teeth.
Outdoor Water Usage
Outdoor water use has the largest potential for variability and savings among households. Here are the main factors affecting outdoor use:
Landscape Size
Larger lawns and expansive gardens require much more irrigation. For example, the average suburban lawn requires about 10,000 gallons of water total during the summer months. Shrinking the lawn area – by converting portions to patios, decks, or native plantings – can significantly reduce water demand.
Plants
Some grasses and plant varieties naturally require less water than others. Utilizing drought-tolerant native plants in place of thirsty exotics like cool-season grasses and azaleas drastically cuts irrigation needs.
Irrigation System
Inefficient irrigation like sprinklers that spray water everywhere can waste huge volumes. Installing a smart irrigation system that targets only the plants’ root zones can save gallons each time the system runs.
Solar Exposure
Sunny yards require more irrigation to offset evaporation and keep plants from wilting. Shaded yards with established trees are somewhat protected.
Climate
In rainy climates like the Pacific Northwest, very little outdoor watering is necessary. But hot, arid regions like the Southwest may require extensive irrigation to maintain landscaping.
Homeowner Diligence
Habits around outdoor water conservation can also significantly influence usage. For example, delaying sprinkler startup in spring, manually controlling the system based on weather, using cycle+soak settings, and spot-watering dry areas versus blanketing everything.
Typical Water Usage by Fixture
Here are the typical usage amounts for common household fixtures and appliances:
| Item | Gallons Used |
| Toilet flush | 1.6-3.5 gallons |
| Shower | 2.5 gallons per minute |
| Bath | 35-50 gallons |
| Running faucet | 2-5 gallons per minute |
| Dishwasher | 6-16 gallons |
| Clothes washer | 25-40 gallons |
| Sprinkler | 20-35 gallons per minute |
| Hose | 5-10 gallons per minute |
| Automatic irrigation system | 15-30 gallons per minute |
An EPA WaterSense certified high-efficiency toilet uses an average of 1.28 gallons per flush or about 18-33% less than a standard model. A WaterSense showerhead can reduce water usage by 2 gallons per minute.
Average Household Water Usage by State
Average daily water usage varies widely across different states based on climate, home sizes, and other factors. Here are the approximate averages for each state in gallons used per day:
| State | Gallons Per Day |
| Alabama | 176 |
| Alaska | 161 |
| Arizona | 179 |
| Arkansas | 114 |
| California | 196 |
| Colorado | 164 |
| Connecticut | 159 |
| Delaware | 161 |
| Florida | 161 |
| Georgia | 143 |
| Hawaii | 160 |
| Idaho | 247 |
| Illinois | 179 |
| Indiana | 169 |
| Iowa | 132 |
| Kansas | 114 |
| Kentucky | 136 |
| Louisiana | 128 |
| Maine | 159 |
| Maryland | 164 |
| Massachusetts | 174 |
| Michigan | 123 |
| Minnesota | 156 |
| Mississippi | 125 |
| Missouri | 130 |
| Montana | 186 |
| Nebraska | 158 |
| Nevada | 231 |
| New Hampshire | 160 |
| New Jersey | 161 |
| New Mexico | 149 |
| New York | 161 |
| North Carolina | 128 |
| North Dakota | 171 |
| Ohio | 123 |
| Oklahoma | 133 |
| Oregon | 172 |
| Pennsylvania | 123 |
| Rhode Island | 174 |
| South Carolina | 149 |
| South Dakota | 212 |
| Tennessee | 128 |
| Texas | 179 |
| Utah | 240 |
| Vermont | 156 |
| Virginia | 161 |
| Washington | 158 |
| West Virginia | 131 |
| Wisconsin | 123 |
| Wyoming | 161 |
The lowest averages are in the more humid eastern states while hot western states have the highest averages. Maine, Minnesota, and Wisconsin have some of the lowest usage thanks to cool temperatures and ample precipitation.
Recommendations for Reasonable Use
While national averages provide guidelines, a home’s reasonable water use depends on its unique conditions. Here are some best practices for assessing if your household’s water usage is appropriate:
- Aim for water use efficiency. Avoid excessive waste by finding and fixing leaks, installing water-saving fixtures and appliances, and adopting conservation habits.
- Size up your house. Consider the number of occupants, bathrooms, water-using appliances, etc. Larger houses need more water.
- Mind your climate. Homes in hotter climates naturally need more water for irrigation, evaporation replacement, etc.
- Analyze your irrigation. Assess if your landscape size, plants, and watering schedule are reasonable for your region and climate.
- Check for leaks. Drips from valves, spigots, and pipes can waste surprising amounts without being noticed.
- Set limits. If usage seems excessive, set targets for each category like showers, laundry, irrigation.
- Monitor use. Track usage patterns over time and across seasons to identify anomalies.
In general, shooting for the low end of national averages based on your household size is a sensible goal. Any usage dramatically exceeding regional norms warrants investigation into fixes to improve efficiency.
Estimating Your House’s Usage
To estimate your household’s current usage:
- Count the number of residents
- Measure irrigated landscape area in square feet
- Identify key water fixtures and usage
- Read your water meter over a week
- Subtract start and end readings to get weekly use
- Multiply by 4.3 to estimate monthly use
Compare your actual calculated use versus your area’s typical ranges. This allows you to identify if your household consumes a normal amount or an excessively high volume.
Conservation Tips
Here are some easy ways to reduce water usage in homes:
Indoors
- Take 5 minute showers
- Turn off water while brushing teeth
- Run full loads in the dishwasher and clothes washer
- Check for toilet leaks with dye tablets
- Install low-flow showerheads and faucet aerators
- Fix drips and leaks promptly
Outdoors
- Adjust sprinklers to avoid overspray
- Water early morning or evening to reduce evaporation
- Use soaker hoses and drip irrigation for beds
- Let lawns go dormant in summer
- Plant native and drought-tolerant landscaping
- Mulch beds to retain soil moisture
- Sweep driveways and walks instead of hosing
Whole House
- Detect leaks with a water meter check
- Install WaterSense fixtures and appliances
- Only run full loads in clothes washer and dishwasher
- Replace older toilets with high efficiency models
- Insulate hot water pipes to reduce wasted water
- Choose pool and spa covers to reduce evaporation
Conclusion
While national averages provide a general guideline, a home’s ideal water usage depends on many factors like house size, number of occupants, climate, irrigation needs, and conservation habits. Careful self-assessment for leaks, waste, and excess use allows homeowners to dial in reasonable targets for each category of household water demand.
