In your home

Understanding your water use

Customers sometimes call us if their water use has increased and they cannot work out why. There are many reasons for unexpected water use. Here is a list of the most common:

The season

Water use tends to increase over the warmer months, so remember to compare with the same time last year, rather than with your previous bill.

Automatic watering

Such systems can be the forgotten source of water use in many homes. It’s often a case of “out of sight, out of mind”. Automatic systems are the most common explanation for unexpected water use.

More people in the house

Have you had guests stay? Two extra people in your household will increase your water consumption by around 300 litres per day. Multiply that by a week or two and you will see a jump on your consumption graph.

Leaks

Leaks can occur anywhere on your property, they waste substantial amounts of water and may be hidden from view. A slowly dripping tap loses about 5,000 litres of water over a three month period.

To check for leaks, make sure that there is no water being used within the house or in the garden. Record the water meter measurement numbers, then record again after a thirty minute period; if the dials have changed position, there may be a leak.

To better understand your water use, try the water usage calculator.

Average Consumption

The table below shows estimates of typical water consumption for common household uses.

**Average Consumption Table**
Shower	Old Showerhead Efficient Showerhead	17 litres per minute 8 litres per minute
Toilet	Single Flush Dual Half Flush Dual Full Flush	12 litres 3 litres 6 litres
Bath	Half full Full	80 litres average 140 litres average
Bathroom	Brushing teeth/shaving with tap running Brushing teeth/shaving with tap off Hand basin	5 litres per minute 1 litre per minute 5 litres
Kitchen	Washing dishes by hand (one meal) Old dishwasher Modern dishware Garbage disposal	18 litres 60 litres 18 litres 10 litres
Laundry	Modern front loader Top loader Twin tub	60 litres 150 litres 70 litres
Garden	Sprinkler Washing car with a hose Hosing driveway Average size swimming pool	1000 litres per hour 200 litres per 12 minutes 75 litres per 5 minutes 20,000 to 40,000 litres
Leaks	Dripping tap Leaking Leaking toilet	30 to 150 litres per day 300 litres per day from a 1.5mm (1/16 inch) hole 10 to 260 litres per day