HOME WATER AUDIT

Room 17 Homework Activity

What is a Water Audit?

A household water audit is an assessment of how much water is used and how much water can be
saved in the home. Conducting a water audit involves calculating water use and identifying simple
ways for saving water.

What is the purpose of a Water Audit?

Conducting a water audit can help you protect your water supply and the community's aquifer.
Conducting a water audit will make you aware of how you use your water and help to identify ways
you can minimize water use by implementing certain conservation measures.

Location Task Litres of Water Used

Toilet:
-Dual flush 3 litres/half flush or 4-5 litres/full flush
-Single flush only 11 litres/flush
Shower 10 litres/minute
Bathroom Bath 120 litres per filled bath
Brushing teeth:
-With running water 3 litres/minute
-Using a cup of water 0.5 litres per person
Washing hands with water running 3 litres/minute

Washing dishes:
15 litres per half-filled sink
-By hand
Kitchen 7 litres/cycle (new dishwasher)
-Dishwasher
25 litres/cycle (old dishwasher)
Drinking

Washing clothes:
22 litres per half--filled laundry trough
Laundry -By hand
40 litres/cycle (new machine)
-Washing machine
180 litres/cycle (old machine)
Washing outdoors (cleaning pets,
furniture, pavers etc):
-Using a running hose 15 litres/minute
-Using a filled bucket 12 litres/minute
Outdoors Watering gardens:
-With a hose 15 litres/minute
-With a sprinkler 12 litres/minute
Topping up pool/spa/water features 15 litres/minute
Slow dripping tap leak 3-27 litres/day
Toilet leak 10 litres/day (barely visible leak) to 260
Leaks
litres/day (large leak)
Pool/spa small leak 130 litres/week