How Much Water Do You Really Use Each Day?
The 150-litre benchmark
The average person in Europe uses roughly 150 litres of water per day for personal household needs. That number might feel abstract, so let's break it down by fixture.
| Activity | Litres per use |
|---|---|
| Shower (8 min) | 60 L |
| Bath | 150 L |
| Toilet flush | 6–9 L |
| Tap (handwashing) | 2 L |
| Dishwasher | 10–15 L |
| Washing machine | 40–70 L |
A single bath uses as much water as 2–3 showers. Most people don't realise this until they see the numbers side by side.
Where it really adds up
Toilets are often the biggest hidden consumer. If you flush five times a day with a 9-litre cistern, that's 45 litres before you've even turned on the tap. Modern dual-flush toilets reduce this by 30–50%.
Washing machines are another significant source — especially older models running partial loads. Running a full load every time instead of half-loads alone can save 20–30 litres per cycle.
The garden multiplier
For households with a garden or lawn, outdoor watering can easily dwarf indoor usage. A hosepipe can use 500–1000 litres per hour. Watering early in the morning (before 8am) reduces evaporation significantly — meaning the same amount of water does more work.
Drip irrigation systems are even more efficient, delivering water directly to roots rather than spraying leaves and soil surface.
Practical ways to reduce
Showers over baths. This alone saves 90 litres per bath avoided.
Fix drips immediately. A slowly dripping tap wastes around 20 litres per day — that's 7,000 litres a year from a single tap.
Only run full loads. Both dishwashers and washing machines are designed to run at full capacity. Half-loads use almost the same water.
Install a low-flow showerhead. These cut shower water use by 30–50% with minimal impact on pressure.
Collect cold warm-up water. The litres that run while you wait for the shower to heat up can be collected and used to water plants.
Knowing your number
The Good Patrone Water Usage Calculator lets you enter your actual fixtures, how often you use them, and your local price per m³ — then estimates your monthly bill alongside an eco status showing how you compare to the 150 L/day average.
Most people find their real number is higher than they expected. Seeing it makes it easier to act on.