Your Water Usage

Your everyday water usage adds up - quickly

Did you know that the average family of three uses about 144 gallons of water per day? And that's just inside the home. Outdoor water usage at certain times of the year - such as watering lawns in the summer - can really increase the amount of water you use.

Indoor Water Usage

How is it that the typical three-person family uses 144 gallons of water every day? It's not hard when you consider this chart:

*The rate of consumption for water-saving devices or products significantly varies. Please check the plumbing fixture package to determine the item's efficiency.

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Outdoor Water Consumption

When warm weather arrives - and you water the lawn and garden, let the kids run through the sprinkler or fill up their kiddie pool - your water usage can really spike, as you can see from this table:

Keep in mind that WSSC Water’s rates are based on a customer's average daily consumption. As your consumption increases, your rates also will increase.

Irrigation Systems

On average, a pop-up station of a lawn irrigation system uses approximately 16 gallons of water per minute. Here is an example of how to calculate how much water is being used per month:

Number of Minutes x Number of Stations/Zones = Total Minutes
Total Minutes x Gallons per minute = Total Gallons used per watering cycle
Total Gallons per cycle x Number of days per month you water = Total gallons used per month

If your system has eight stations, and you water twice per week, and each station runs for 15 minutes, then you are using 1,920 gallons each day you water, or 15,360 gallons per month.

Sprinklers

Watering with a typical sprinkler using a standard 5/8" garden hose for one hour uses about 1,020 gallons of water; if you water three times per week, that's about 12,240 gallons per month. If you run the sprinkler three times per week during a 90-day billing cycle, you will add about 36,000 gallons of water to your usage.

Know Your Household Water Usage

If you're familiar with your household's typical water consumption, it will be easier to notice big changes to your home's Average Daily Consumption. That's why you should always review your bill and check the amount of water used, to spot potential problems as soon as possible. (Need to review what's reported on your bill? Visit "How to Read Your Water Bill" for a quick refresh.)

While higher water usage shown on your bill can occur with a longer billing cycle, it might also be a sign of water leaks or other problems. To look for and head off possible problems, check these tips for finding leaks around your home. 

High Bill Adjustment Regulation

Single-unit residential customers can request a High Bill Adjustment once for up to two consecutive billing periods in any three-year period, if certain criteria are met. This change represents a $2 million investment by WSSC Water toward improving service to our customers.

Customers and/or property owners are responsible for maintaining all plumbing on private property and paying for water that registers on the meter, including water lost due to leak(s).

Need help with your bill?

WSSC Water is committed to making your water and sewer bills more affordable. We’ve enhanced our Financial Assistance Programs and payment plans to provide help to more customers. Eligible residential customers may request a payment plan to make their water and sewer bills more affordable. If you have questions or need to speak to someone, please contact Customer Service at 301-206-4001 (press option 5).

We have several ways to assist when you experience high bills:

• Financial Assistance Programs
• Water Fund
• Resolving Bill Issues