Every fixture in an average US home, with a verdict
Where your gallons go
The average American family uses more than 300 gallons of water a day at home, and each fixture in the drawing links to one decision about it, with a verdict and the numbers behind it.
Indoor shares (of indoor use): EPA, How We Use Water, from the Water Research Foundation's 2016 residential end-use study. Outdoor watering, more than 30% of all household use on average: EPA Statistics and Facts. Checked 11 November 2026.
Tap a fixture, read its verdict
- 24%ToiletReplaceReplace it if it was made before 1994; keep a working 1.6 gpf toilet unless it leaks or you remodel.
- 20%ShowerSwap itSwap a head that fills a gallon in under 20 seconds for a WaterSense model rated 2.0 gpm or less.
- 19%FaucetsSwap itScrew on a 1.5 gpm WaterSense aerator if the faucet is marked 2.2 gpm or unmarked; the faucet can usually stay.
- 17%Clothes washerUpgrade laterKeep a working washer; when it fails, buy ENERGY STAR, which uses about 14 gallons a load instead of 20.
- 12%LeaksTest nowRead the meter, use no water for two hours, read it again; any movement means a probable leak to track down.
- 8%Baths, dishwasher, otherUse itRun a full ENERGY STAR dishwasher rather than washing by hand; scrape plates and skip the pre-rinse.
About 70 percent of a family's water is used indoors, according to EPA's How We Use Water page. Of that indoor share, toilets take 24 percent, showers 20, faucets 19, clothes washers 17 and leaks 12, with baths, dishwashers and everything else making up the last 8 (EPA's chart, from the Water Research Foundation's 2016 end-use study). Outdoors, EPA puts watering at more than 30 percent of household use on average and up to 60 percent in dry regions (Statistics and Facts). Tap a fixture in the drawing, or start with a room below.
The decisions, room by room
Room
Bathroom
Toilets and showers alone take 44 percent of indoor use. The bathroom decisions cover old toilets, dual flush, running tanks, showerheads, aerators and the bath-or-shower question.
Should you replace an old toilet?Replace it if it was made before 1994; keep a working 1.6 gpf toilet unless it leaks or you remodel.Replace10,640 gal
Running toilet: fix it or replace it?Fix a running toilet this week; replace the whole toilet only if it is a pre-1994 model or the china is cracked.Fix now200 gal a day
Dual flush or single flush: which saves more?Either works; pick dual flush only if its full flush is 1.28 gpf or less and your household uses the half button.Depends1,530 gal
Is a low-flow showerhead swap worth it?Swap a head that fills a gallon in under 20 seconds for a WaterSense model rated 2.0 gpm or less.Swap it2,700 gal
Should you swap your bathroom faucet aerator?Screw on a 1.5 gpm WaterSense aerator if the faucet is marked 2.2 gpm or unmarked; the faucet can usually stay.Swap it700 gal
Bath or shower: which uses less water?Shower for everyday washing; a full bath uses about as much as a 35-minute shower on a 2.0 gpm head.Shower54 gal
Room
Kitchen and laundry
Washers take 17 percent of indoor water, and a softener's regenerations add more. Kitchen and laundry weighs dishwashers against hand washing, old washers against new ones, kitchen faucet flow and softener settings.
Dishwasher or hand washing: which uses less water?Run a full ENERGY STAR dishwasher rather than washing by hand; scrape plates and skip the pre-rinse.Use it8,400 gal
Should you replace an old washing machine?Keep a working washer; when it fails, buy ENERGY STAR, which uses about 14 gallons a load instead of 20.Upgrade later1,800 gal
What kitchen faucet flow rate should you choose?Keep a working 2.2 gpm faucet and shorten how long it runs; choose 1.8 gpm when you replace it.Habits first10 gal
Does a water softener waste water?A softener is a hardness choice, not a water saver; if you have or need one, choose demand regeneration.Demand control~50 gal
Room
Leaks and pressure
Leaks take 12 percent of indoor water, more than baths and dishwashers put together. Leaks and pressure starts with a two-hour meter test and moves on to drips, leak sensors and pressure-reducing valves.
How do you run a water meter leak test?Read the meter, use no water for two hours, read it again; any movement means a probable leak to track down.Test now9,300+ gal
Is a dripping faucet worth fixing now?Fix it this week: at one drip a second, EPA counts more than 3,000 gallons a year down the drain.Fix now3,000+ gal
Leak sensor or automatic shutoff valve: which do you need?Start with plug-in sensors at the heater, washer and sinks; add a main-line shutoff if a burst would cost dearly.Depends4,300 gal a day
Do you need a pressure reducing valve?Put a gauge on a hose bibb with all water off; if it reads well above 60 psi, have a plumber adjust or fit a PRV.Test first45–60 psi
Room
Hot water
EPA says the average household runs 6.35 gallons a day down the drain waiting for hot water. Hot water compares recirculation, pipe insulation and a tighter layout at remodel time.
Is a hot water recirculation pump worth it?Worth it for long waits if it is a demand-start pump; skip timer or always-on pumps, which can raise energy use.Demand only6.35 gal a day
Should you insulate your hot water pipes?Insulate exposed hot pipes, first 3 feet at the heater first; keep foam at least 6 inches from a gas flue.Insulate50%
How should a remodel route the hot water?When walls are open, ask for hot runs holding 0.5 gallons or less; it is the cheapest time to shorten the wait.Plan it0.5 gal
Room
Yard
In dry climates the yard can outdrink the whole house. The yard pages cover drip against sprinklers, smart controllers, rain barrels and laundry-to-landscape greywater, with state rules where they apply.
Drip irrigation or sprinklers for your yard?Put beds, shrubs and trees on drip; keep lawn on sprinklers with pressure-regulating heads and fixed leaks.Drip beds5,100+ gal
Is a smart irrigation controller worth it?Swap a clock timer for a WaterSense labeled controller on an in-ground system; skip it if you water by hose.Upgrade15,000 gal
Is a rain barrel legal and worth it?Worth it for beds where your state allows it; check your state's limit first, and never drink it or plumb it in.Check rules620 gal
Should you send washer water to the yard?Worth it for watering trees and shrubs where your state allows a simple washer system; check the rule first.Check rules6,000 gal
Room
Money and rules
Some answers turn on timing, the law or a rebate. Money and rules covers replacing now or later, state fixture limits and what water utilities pay toward a swap.
Replace fixtures now, or wait until they break?Replace toilets made before 1994 and anything that leaks now; swap working post-1994 fixtures when they fail.Depends17,830 gal
Do state fixture rules make you replace anything?California homes built on or before Jan 1, 1994 had a retrofit duty, with exemptions; elsewhere, keep them.Depends1.8 gpm
Is a water utility rebate worth chasing?Check your water utility before you buy: most rebates need a listed model, a deadline or a plumber's invoice.Check first$100