How to Calculate Water Usage

Write down how many times you cook to calculate your water usage.

Knowing how much water you are using and where it comes from can help you conserve your water usage. Calculating your water usage from activities, such as watering your grass or flowerbed, showering or bathing, brushing your teeth or doing laundry allows you to track your household consumption, which includes indoors and outdoors usage. Pinpointing where you are using the most water can help you cut back and save some money on your water bill.

Instructions

1. Write down your water usage. Chores, such as cooking, watering the lawn, washing your car and washing dishes, should be included on your list along with baths, showers and toilet usage. Calculate how many times a week you perform these water-using activities.

2. Enter your water usage information. With the SouthWest Florida and USGS calculator, click the drop-down scroll bar underneath each question to answer each water usage question. (See References) With the Nevada water usage calculator, enter the number of water-usage activities, such as bathing, showering, cooking, flushing the toilet, watering the lawn, washing clothes, washing the car and washing the dishes you do in one week into the provided boxes.

3. Press the "Submit" button. This will show you how much water you and your family are using within a week.

References

• USGS: Water Science Questionnaire: Water Use at Home
• Nevada University: The Crippen-Browser Water Usage Test
• Southwest Florida Water Management District Reference: Water Use Calculator