Since nearly 70 million meals are served each day in U.S. restaurants, we'd save more than 26 million gallons of water if only one person in four declined the complimentary glassful. If you have a lawn, chances are it's your biggest water gobbler. Indoor water use statistics vary from family to family and in various parts of the country, but they average out pretty reliably. If U.S. citizens averaged only four or five flushes per day, it would amount to more than 5 billion gallons of water down the drain. That's enough to supply drinking water to the entire population of Chicago for more than 6 years.
Little leaks add up in a hurry.
A faucet drip or invisible toilet leak that totals only two tablespoons a minute comes to 15 gallons a day. That's 105 gallons a week and 5,460 wasted gallons of water a year. It all depends. A partially filled tub uses much less than a long shower, while a short shower is much more water efficient than a brimful tub. If you shower in a bathtub, check yourself by plugging the tub to see how high the water comes when you're finished.