Do It Yourself! Household Water Assessment

Flush volume refers to how much water is released when a toilet is flushed. Since January 1994, all toilets sold in the US must use 1.6 gallons per flush (gpf) or less. More recently, high-efficiency toilets (HETs) with a flush volume of 1.28 gpf or less have been available. Older toilets use up to seven gallons per flush! Use the information below to determine your toilet’s water usage. It is recommended to replace your 3.5 gpf or greater toilets with 1.1 gpf WaterSense toilets.

Method 1: Reading Your Meter

1. 1. Find your meter box (typically near the public right of way near the street) and remove the lid. If you cannot find the meter box or if the lid is not easily removed, proceed to Method 2.
   2. If your meter is equipped with a rotating sweephand, note its location. If no sweephand is present, proceed to Method 2.
   3. Make sure all water-using fixtures in your home are turned off.
   4. Flush the toilet and then read the sweephand again.
   5. Subtract the first reading from the second reading to determine the amount of water used in a flush.

This is an example of a water meter in a meter box. 

Method 2: Look for marks or labels near the toilet seat hinge.

The manufacturer’s name and a “gpf” label often appear right behind the seat hinge on the bowl. If you don’t see a gpf label, lift the tank lid and check the inside back of the toilet tank for the manufacturer’s date stamp – it is usually stamped directly into the porcelain. If no markings are present, the chart below will help you determine your toilet’s flush volume.

 Showerheads and kitchen and bathroom faucets are frequently labeled with their flowrate on the rim of the aerator or faucet head. If you cannot find or see a label, you can do the following:

1. 1. Turn the fixture on to its normal position.
   2. Place a container under the fixture and collect the water for 10 seconds.
   3. Measure the quantity of water in the container and convert the measurement to gallons.
   4. Multiply the measured quantity of water by 6 to calculate the flow rate in gallons per minute.

Dishwasher

Did you know primarily handwashing dishes uses an average of 23 gallons of water per session? Most dishwashers use 7 gallons of water or less per cycle. Newer and high efficiency models that have the Energy Star label use less than 3 gallons of water per cycle.

Washing Machine

Washing machines are a large water user and account for 15% to 40% of water use in a typical household. Did you know that traditional washing machines produced before new standards were adopted in 2010 used anywhere from 30-45 gallons per load? For a family of 4, that could translate to 12,000 gallons of water a year just to wash clothes. Newer models have been shown to cut this water use by half (Source: Alliance for Water Efficiency).

In metro Atlanta, outdoor plants need about one inch of water a week. Adjust your sprinklers as needed based on the results of step 5. For example, if your average measurement is one inch over the course of an hour, adjust your system so that it runs for a total of 60 minutes per week, either as six 10-minute cycles or 10 six-minute cycles. The short multiple cycles will allow the water to be absorbed by the soil.