How much water we use in a day
Every day, we rely on water - we use it to cook, clean, stay hydrated and more.
Yet oftentimes, we reach for the tap without thinking about it.
Knowing how much water we use every day can help us become more conscious of the need to save water.
We live on the world’s driest continent.
Water is a precious resource and by working together, we can sustain our water supply and reduce our impact on the natural environment.
Calculate your daily water use
Flushing the toilet
Dual-flush toilet
- 3 litres for a half flush
- 4.5 to 6 litres for a full flush.
Single-flush cistern
- 9 to 11 litres per flush.
Having a shower
- 6 to 9 litres a minute for a water-efficient showerhead
- 19 litres a minute for an older-style showerhead.
Having a 5-minute shower a day with an older-style showerhead uses about 35,000 litres of water in one year.
That's why we recommend showering for 4 minutes or less.
It's also why we recommend installing a water-efficient showerhead.
Council offers rebates for replacing old showerheads and tapware with water-efficient devices.
Taking a bath
- 50 to 150 litres of water, depending on the water level.
Washing dishes
Washing dishes by hand
Using the dishwasher
- 15 litres for a fast cycle
- 20 litres for a normal cycle.
Putting on a load of washing
Normal cycle
- 50 litres for a modern front-loading machine
- 120 to 150 litres for a top loader
- 70 litres for a twin tub.
Washing hands, brushing teeth, cooking, cleaning the house
- 5 to 9 litres a minute if you leave the tap running
- 18 litres per person a day, on average.
Watering the garden
- More than 1000 litres an hour for a constantly running hose or sprinkler.
A dripping tap or leaking toilet
- About 30 litres a day for a dripping tap
- About 260 litres a day for a constantly running toilet.
Save water today
It's important that everyone saves water indoors and outdoors.
Find out how much water you use with a home water audit(PDF, 1016KB) or use our water use calculator below. You might like to also try The Water Conservancy's Water Consumption Calculator.
If you run a business, our water saving tips for business can save you water and money.
When there are water restrictions, make sure you follow them.
When there are no water restrictions, please meet Target 160 litres.
Calculate
Use this calculator to find out how much water you are using each day.
Another way to find out your water use is by reading your water meter today and again in 2 weeks’ time.
One kilolitre is 1,000 litres. The red numbers on your water meter are fractions of a kilolitre.
Also, your water use is recorded in kilolitres (kL) on your water meter (the black numbers) and on your water bill.
