Log in
Setting a target for your household
Find out how much water your household should use each day. Water-efficient homes of similar size with the same number of occupants generally use about the same amount of water.
How to set your target
- On your latest bill, find the month's usage charges and your average daily usage.
- Then, from the 4 daily target tables below, choose the one that includes the month closest to the usage charges date range for this bill: November–January, February–April, May–July or August–October.
- Choose the number of people who shared your home most of the time.
- Choose your property size in square metres (m2).
The result shows how many litres per day (L/day) an efficient household the size of yours uses. This is your target. Compare it to your average daily usage right now.
The first box shows the start and end dates for this bill's usage charges. The black column in the second box shows the average litres per day (L/day) your household has used.
Daily target tables
November–January daily target
| People in the home | Small property Less than 500 m2 | Medium property 501 m2 to 700 m2 | Large property 701 m2 to 900 m2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | 194 L/day | 199 L/day | 212 L/day |
| 2 people | 351 L/day | 363 L/day | 381 L/day |
| 3 people | 449 L/day | 469 L/day | 487 L/day |
| 4 people | 516 L/day | 541 L/day | 559 L/day |
| 5 people | 542 L/day | 570 L/day | 586 L/day |
February–April daily target
| People in the home | Small property Less than 500 m2 | Medium property 501 m2 to 700 m2 | Large property 701 m2 to 900 m2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | 197 L/day | 199 L/day | 213 L/day |
| 2 people | 356 L/day | 364 L/day | 384 L/day |
| 3 people | 456 L/day | 470 L/day | 490 L/day |
| 4 people | 524 L/day | 542 L/day | 563 L/day |
| 5 people | 551 L/day | 572 L/day | 591 L/day |
May–July daily target
| People in the home | Small property Less than 500 m2 | Medium property 501 m2 to 700 m2 | Large property 701 m2 to 900 m2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | 181 L/day | 186 L/day | 198 L/day |
| 2 people | 327 L/day | 341 L/day | 357 L/day |
| 3 people | 419 L/day | 440 L/day | 456 L/day |
| 4 people | 482 L/day | 508 L/day | 523 L/day |
| 5 people | 506 L/day | 536 L/day | 549 L/day |
August–October daily target
| People in the home | Small property Less than 500 m2 | Medium property 501 m2 to 700 m2 | Large property 701 m2 to 900 m2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | 189 L/day | 191 L/day | 206 L/day |
| 2 people | 340 L/day | 349 L/day | 370 L/day |
| 3 people | 436 L/day | 451 L/day | 473 L/day |
| 4 people | 501 L/day | 520 L/day | 543 L/day |
| 5 people | 527 L/day | 549 L/day | 569 L/day |
What the targets are based on
People use water in lots of different ways around the home, and many factors determine how much water they use. To calculate the daily averages in the tables, we assume that people in water-efficient households:
- use water outdoors 2–3 times a week for things like maintaining their lawn and garden, topping up the pool and washing the car
- have a 4.5-minute shower each day using a water-efficient showerhead (no more than 9 litres per minute)
- use a dual-flush toilet
- use a front-loading washing machine and no more than 2 loads per person per week
- use water-efficient taps fitted with aerators
- use the dishwasher no more than once a day
- have a bath only occasionally
- fix any obvious leaks around the home.
Ways to save water at home
If you're surprised to see how much water you use compared to other households, there's a lot you can do. Making positive changes could cost a lot less than you think.
- Find out what uses water in your home.
- Follow our water saving tips and save water and money.
- Take a positive step and contact WaterFix® Residential to fix visible leaks and install water-efficient fittings.
- See if you can spot and fix a leak. If you have a hidden leak, find out how WaterFix Concealed Leaks can help.
- Take a look at all our water saving programs.
