A 10-minute shower would average between 150-200 litres per day, 1,050-1,400 litres per week, and 5,475-7,300 litres per year. When upgrading to a water-saving showerhead, you can reduce the amount of water used to about 9 litres per minute.
If you have a low-flow showerhead installed, you can expect to use about two gallons of water per minute, equalling 20 gallons throughout a 10-minute shower. With a standard showerhead, around half a gallon more water will emerge each minute, so a 10-minute shower would use somewhere close to 25 gallons.
The average showerhead uses 12 litres of water per minute, with power showers using around 15 litres. Given that the average shower taken is around 10 minutes long, that's up to 150 litres of water every time you shower!
A full bath uses up to 80 litres of water whereas a five minute power shower uses about 75 litres. So, provided you don't take too long under the shower, water can still be saved. Remember to turn off the tap while you are actually brushing your teeth. A running tap uses 6 litres of water per minute.
The average shower duration is approximately 7 minutes and the average shower volume is approximately 55 litres. In households with a high-flow shower head the average water consumption per shower is 64.2 litres. This compares with 47.7 litres per shower for households with a low-flow shower head.
If the flow rate is less than 10 litres per minute, you have low water pressure. A flow rate between 10 and 15 litres per minute is considered acceptable but can be improved. A flow rate that is above 15 litres per minute will be regarded as good.
If your home water outlets (i.e. taps and showers) can deliver over 15 litres of water per minute, this is considered good water pressure. Between 10 and 15 litres of water per minute is acceptable. Anything below this is considered poor.
Is a short shower really that much cheaper? The average bath uses about 80 litres of water. Over the course of four minutes a normal shower head produces about 36 litres. Less hot water also means fewer carbon emissions.
Did you know that standard showerheads use 2.5 gallons of water per minute (gpm)?
In the above chart, considering a 50-gallon bathtub for comparison with showers running at 2.5 gallons per minute, we found out that a 20-minute shower at full shower power consumes the same amount of water as a 50-gallon (190 liters) bath!
The shower
A water-efficient showerhead uses approximately 9 litres per minute. An older style showerhead uses approximately 19 litres per minute - that's 10 litres more! Having a daily 5 minute shower with an older style showerhead uses about 36,500 litres of water a year.
The verdict. Overall, taking a shower is generally cheaper than having a bath - but it can vary. Check how you pay your water bill- is it based on a fixed rate or is it based on how much water is used measured with a water meter?
Are electric showers expensive to run? Following our calculations based on a 10-minute shower, you can expect to spend 73p per electric shower and 40p per gas shower. Overall, it's cheaper to run a gas shower.
Think of baths as an occasional treat and stick to showers. The average bath uses 35 to 50 gallons of water, whereas a 10-minute shower with a low-flow showerhead only uses 25 gallons.
For example a full flush toilet uses about 11 litres per flush compared to a dual flush toilet which can reduce each full flush to 4.5 litres and each half flush to 3 litres. If you have 100 users on a daily basis this could save up to 1100,000 litres annually. volumes from 11 litres to 9 litres per flush.
Many standard showers will operate around the 0.2litres per second/12 litres per minute mark. With an average shower time of five minutes, that quickly stacks up to 60 litres of water per user. With multiple showers in constant operation through peak times, you can quickly burn through your water storage in no time.
The average shower lasts about eight minutes. Since the average showerhead has a water flow of 2.1 gallons per minute, each shower uses more than 16 gallons of water!
These are just three tips on how to reduce your water and energy usage when you shower. Reduce Shower Time – Reducing the amount of time you are in the shower can save gallons of water. The average 10-minute shower uses about 18 gallons of water!
With a low-flow showerhead, you can expect to use about two gallons of water each minute, equating to 10 gallons over a 5-minute period. If a standard showerhead is fit, the shower will likely emit around an extra half gallon of water per minute, so a 5-minute shower will use in the region of 12.5 gallons.
Try reducing the length of your shower by a minute or two a few times a week. You could also turn the flow off while you apply shampoo. Fitting a water-efficient showerhead is another great way to make savings. They use around six litres of water a minute, which is half the amount of a standard showerhead.
Dubbed the “everything shower”, it involves doing all the things you would usually do over the course of, say, a week, in a single sitting. You need to block out two hours, then pick up your body brush, cleanser, face mask, hair mask, razor, loofah, lip scrub, teeth-whitening strips, everything.
Showerhead requirements for rental properties
The Plumbing Code of Australia requires that showerheads in all new developments have a maximum flow rate of 9L per minute.
1.5 bar – ideal for normal showers. 2.0 bar – ideal for two or three showers, taps or appliances. 2.5 bar – ideal for power showers and larger shower heads.
A study by the American Water Works Association found that, on the average, we take eight-minute showers. If you take an eight- minute shower using one of those showerheads, you will use 48 to 64 gallons of water. That 15-minute shower will use 90 to 120 gallons.