Lenn Black, Environmental Specialist, Division of Water, Ohio Department of Natural Resources
Karen Mancl, Professor Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering, The Ohio State University
Water is used in and around homes for a variety of purposes. Cleaning,
bathing, drinking, and flushing wastes are the primary uses of water.
The average person uses 50 to 75 gallons of water each day. Only 5% of
that (2 to 4 gallons) is actually consumed by people through drinking
and cooking. The highest percentage, 40 percent, is used to flush
toilets.
The increasing use of low-flush toilets is having a positive impact on household water use. Beginning in 1990 all new and remodeled homes are required to install low-flush toilets. Low-flush toilets use 1.6 gallons per flush rather than 3 to 5 gallons per flush for a conventional toilet. Communities should encourage property owners to convert, whenever possible, to low water using fixtures (Table 1).
Table 1. Examples of Water Conserving Fixtures
| Conventional fixture | Gallons used |  |
Water-saving fixture | Gallons used |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toilet | 1.6 per flush | Air-assisted toilet | 0.5 per flush | |
| Shower head | 4-6 per minute | Low-flow shower head | 2.1 per minute | |
| Faucets | |
Faucet flow-control aerator | |
|
| Bathroom |
4-6 per minute | Bathroom |
0.5 per minute | |
| Kitchen |
4-6 per minute | Kitchen |
1.5 per minute | |
| Top-loading clothes washer | 40-55 per use | Front loading clothes washer | 22-33 per use |
Irrigation of lawns and gardens can greatly increase summer water use. Lawn watering recommendations for Ohio are 1 inch per week. For a 1/4-acre of lawn that equals 6,788 gallons for each week over the growing season. For a 12-week growing season that can amount to 81,450 gallons of water per lawn.