Activity 2.2.1 – My Daily Water Use

Water Gallons Used Last Three Months:

August 8, 2025 = 3,598 gallons

July 7, 2025 = 3,501 gallons

June 11, 2025 = 5,603 gallons

            Total = 12,702 gallons / 3 = 4,234 gallons/month on average.

Number of individuals in household = 4

                        4,234 / 4 = 1,058.5 gallons/person/month

Gallons per person per day by 30 days:

                        1,058.5 / 30 = 35.3 gallons/day/person

 

Hunter Water Calculator

            https://www.hunterwater.com.au/Save-Water/Water-Usage-Calculator.aspx

Household Water Use = 339 kL/year = 89,646 gallons/year

            89,646 gallons / 365 days =    246 gallons/day

            246 gallons / 4 people = 61.5 gallons/person/day   

 

City of Bellingham, Washington Calculator

                https://www.cob.org/services/utilities/pages/water-calculator.aspx

Household Water Use = 181 gallons/day

                181 gallons / 4 people = 45.25 gallons/day/person

When I looked at my household water use, I found that my numbers are much lower than what most people in the United States use each day. The average American uses between 80 and 100 gallons of water per person, per day, which adds up to more than 3,000 gallons in a month. Based on my water utility bills from the last three months, my family of four used a total of 12,702 gallons. That equals to about 4,234 gallons per month, or 1,058 gallons per person. Dividing that total over 30 days, we each use around 35 gallons per day. This average is less than half the national average of water use.

I also utilized two online water calculators to determine what the average would be on their application tools. The Hunter Water calculator estimated our household use at 339 kiloliters per year, or 89,646 gallons. That comes out to 246 gallons per day for the household, or about 61 gallons per person daily. The City of Bellingham calculator showed 181 gallons per day for the household, which equals about 45 gallons per person.

These comparisons show a range depending on household water use. My actual water bill gave the lowest number, while the calculators predicted significantly more water use. Overall, the results show that my household uses less water than the typical American household. It was surprising to see the difference between the different calculators, but also encouraging to know my household is below average. This makes me think about how we are being good water stewards in our community, and how we might continue to cut down even more if we try harder.