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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Developers donate 14 acres to Talent for open space ... Mail Tribune 100, Nov. 16,1915 ... Snow settles on passes as cold front hits Southern Oregon ... Developers donate 14 acres to Talent for open space ... Mail Tribune 100, Nov. 16,1915 ... Snow settles on passes as cold front hits Southern Oregon ... SINCE YOU ASKED Since You Asked: Feds are flush with water statistics Comment MailTribune.com Writer Posted Nov. 15, 2015 at 12:01 AM Posted Nov. 15, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Social News I've heard on more than one occasion that the biggest single source of water use in the home is the toilet. Without getting too graphic, I guess I could understand why for some households, but it sure seems to me that the shower and/or bathtub would use a lot more water. — Gene, Medford Gene, first of all we want to thank you for not getting too graphic about anyone's toilet use. That being said, we also can confirm that what you heard is right, at least according to official sources. According to the federal Environmental Protection Agency, the average family of four uses 400 gallons of water a day, 70 percent (280 gallons) of that indoors. Toilets account for nearly 27 percent of household water use, while showers come in at a distant third, at about 17 percent. Squeezing in between them are washing machines, which the EPA says consume almost 22 percent of the indoor residential water. The EPA says "standard toilets" use 1.6 gallons per flush, while older toilets can use as much as 3.5 to 7 gallons per flush. Standard showerheads use 2.5 gallons per minute. We here at SYA claim to be journalists, so that immediately raises questions about our math skills, but we also wonder about the EPA's math. By our reckoning, according to the EPA the average household uses 75.6 gallons per day to flush the toilet. That means those with standard toilets would be flushing 47 times a day or nearly 12 times per person. There must be a lot of people with older toilets — or a lot of incontinence among Americans. Regardless of any of the above, you can make a difference in your water usage with a few modest investments that should pay big dividends. A low-flush toilet can save 20 to 60 percent of flushed water, while switching from an old-school showerhead can save 2,900 gallons of water annually and enough electricity to power a home for 13 days. Brush your teeth twice a day? Turn off the water while you're brushing and you alone can save 2,400 gallons of water a year. Back to the EPA's math: If four-person households use 17 percent of their water on showers, that works out to about 48 gallons or 12 gallons per person. At 2.5 gallons per minute, that means the average shower time is just under 5 minutes. In our humble estimation, the feds are either math-challenged themselves or have different sorts of family members than we have. Just saying. Send questions to “Since You Asked,” Mail Tribune Newsroom, P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501; by fax to 541-776-4376; or by email to [email protected]. To see a collection of columns, go to mailtribune.com/youasked . We’re sorry, but the volume of questions received prevents us from answering all of them. MailTribune.com Writer Posted Nov. 15, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501