Tap Water Uses



According to a 1999 American Water Works Association study on residential end uses of water in the United States, Americans drink more than 1 glass of tap water per day (the daily human drinking water requirement being 2-3 U.S. quarts (1.9-2.8 litres)). Daily indoor per capita tap water use in a typical single family home is 69.3 US gallons (262 l), falling into the following categories:

  • toilets - 26.7% - 18.5 US gallons (70 l)
  • clothes washers - 21.7% - 15 US gallons (57 l)
  • showers - 16.8% - 11.6 US gallons (44 l)
  • faucets (including drinking water at ca. 1%) - 15.7% - 10.9 US gallons (41 l)
  • leaks - 12.7% - 9.5 US gallons (36 l)
  • baths - 1.7% - 1.2 US gallons (4.5 l)
  • dishwashers - 1.4% - 1.0 US gallon (3.8 l)
  • Other indoor domestic uses - 2.2% - 1.6 US gallons (6.1 l)



    • For perspective, out of all the water supplied to dwellings annually 42 percent of it was used for indoor purposes, and 59 percent of it for outdoor purposes, such as for watering lawns, gardens, and trees, and for maintaing water in swimming pools, where inevitably a lot of water evaporates or is otherwise used up. Experimental attempts have been made to introduce non-potable greywater or rainwater for secondary uses such as toilets in order to reduce enormous environmental and energy costs. In urban China, drinking water can be optionally delivered by a separate tap.