Some people opt for “Point of Use” filtration which is on a single tap(s) for drinking purposes only. Others choose to do Whole House filtration. This decision is based upon what your water quality is, and what you are using your water for, and whether there is additional protection needed for how you are using that water and your family’s health.
Average Daily Use: A good place to start is to review and understand your own water bills from your local council to see how much water you are using each month, and you can then make calculations of your average daily use. This metric is just a single indicator, be careful not to use this as the sole basis of your calculations as there will be days that exceed the Average Daily Usage.
Peak hourly usage: There will be differing periods of demand in a household throughout the day, depending on how many people are in the house, when people are showering, when appliances are on, cooking times, usage of any outdoor irrigation, hoses, filling the pool, washing the car/boat, washing your pet etc. The following are estimates of some typical usages of water:
- A typical shower will use about 15 litres per minute.
- A bath will use approximately 150 litres.
- A toilet will use approximately 6 litres for a full flush and 3 litres for a half flush.
- Tap water runs at about 5 litres per minute.
- Washing machines can use up to 100 litres per load.
- Dishwashers can use up to 30 litres per load.
- People will use around 10 litres each person per day for drinking, cooking and cleaning.
The above usage/flow information is generic and will vary depending on your own behaviours and efficiency of the appliances and infrastructure in your own home. Gathering additional information will also assist you to understand how much water you may be using, such as: the number of kitchens, number of bathrooms, how many inhabitants/bedrooms, outdoor water usage etc.