Do you know how much water you use at home?

Since we live in the desert, we all understand how valuable water is. Making your home more water-efficient is one of the most helpful steps you can take. Still, many people are surprised by how much water their household uses each day. Even if you think you’re being careful, you might not be as efficient as you believe—especially when it comes to outdoor water use.

To see exactly how and where you use the most water, try AMWUA’s Water Use Calculator. It gives you helpful tips and easy links to help you use water more efficiently and lower your monthly use. This way, you can save both water and money.

 Many things affect how much water your household uses, and this easy-to-use tool gives you important information about your indoor and outdoor water use. In fact, more than half of home water use can happen outdoors—often without people realizing how much is being used. By answering a few simple questions, you can find out how much water your household should use each month.

 After your water use data is processed, you’ll get printable charts showing your monthly and yearly water use. These charts help you see where you use the most water, both indoors and in your yard. With this information, it’s easier to change your water habits. 

Since the majority of residential water use happens outdoors, here are a few things to consider:

• Lawns often get watered more than they need. Most grass only requires watering no more than twice a week (every three days), but many people water daily, which wastes thousands of gallons a year.
• Leaky sprinkler heads, broken drip lines, and misdirected spray can pour water into the street or sidewalk without you noticing.
• Watering during the hottest part of the day can cause a lot of evaporation. Avoid watering between 9 am and 6 pm to use water more efficiently.
• Pools can lose water to evaporation and leaks. Covering pools and checking for leaks can save thousands of gallons each year.
• Many people forget to adjust their irrigation for the seasons, leading to unnecessary watering in cooler months.
• Outdoor leaks, such as from faucets or underground lines, can go unnoticed and waste large amounts of water over time.

Once you understand your water use, you might still not know how to make your home more water-efficient. You’re not alone. The Smart Home Water Guide is a great resource that helps you find and fix leaks that can raise your water use and affect your budget. The guide is also available in Spanish as Guia Para Detectar Fugas.

The AMWUA cities have also created many resources to help residents and businesses use water more efficiently. Their professional staff can offer help and advice if you have high water use or water waste problems.

While we value safe, reliable water, it is our collective duty to use it efficiently at home and avoid waste, because every responsible choice makes a difference, especially as we move into a new reality with less Colorado River water.

For 57 years, the Arizona Municipal Water Users Association has worked to protect our member cities' ability to provide assured, safe, and sustainable water supplies to their communities — Avondale, Chandler, Gilbert, Glendale, Goodyear, Mesa, Peoria, Phoenix, Scottsdale, and Tempe. For more information, visit amwua.org.