As the globe’s temperature rises and the earth’s weather patterns go haywire, water is quickly becoming a hot topic. Floods are sweeping through new areas, while others are drying out faster than ever. See some facts about our water use that may surprise you.

  1. About 95 percent of the water entering our homes goes down the drain.
  2. Running the tap while brushing your teeth can waste 4 gallons of water.
  3. Older toilets can use 3 gallons of clean water with every flush, while new toilets use as little as 1 gallon.
  4. Leaky faucets that drip at the rate of one drop per second can waste up to 2,700 gallons of water each year.
  5. A garden hose or sprinkler can use almost as much water in an hour as an average family of four uses in one day.
  6. A water-efficient dishwasher will use as little a 4 gallons per wash cycle, whereas some older models use up to 13 gallons per cycle.
  7. Many people in the world exist on 3 gallons of water per day or less. We can use that amount in one flush of the toilet.
  8. Over a quarter of all the clean, drinkable water you use in your home is used to flush the toilets.