Water
Every person in the UK uses an average of 160 litres of water a day, one third of which is used to flush the toilet. The following table shows how much water is typically used for a range of activities:
| Activity | Litres | Buckets* |
|---|---|---|
| Bath | 80 litres | 16 |
| 5 minute shower | 35 litres | 7 |
| Brushing teeth with tap running | 6 litres/min | 1.2 |
| Brushing teeth with tap off | 1 litre | 0.2 |
| Dripping tap | 140 litres/week | 28 |
| Washing machine | 65 litres | 13 |
| Dishwater | 21 litres | 4 |
| Washing car with bucket | 10 litres | 2 |
| Hosepipe/sprinkler | 540 litres/hour | 108 |
* Based on buckets with a 5 litre capacity
Heating water is also responsible for a lot of the energy used in homes (for example: showers, washing machines), so the more water we use, the more energy we need. Fortunately there are many simple ways of reducing the amount of water you use. This has wider benefits for the environment as well as less water will need to be pumped and treated with chemicals (before and after use) and more will be available in rivers, lakes and natural wetlands.
For further information visit the Thames Water website.