Infographic: Indoor Water Use in the United States, 1999 and 2016

Better technology is helping U.S. households conserve water.

It is a conservation success story. Indoor water use in U.S. households dropped by 22 percent between 1999 and 2016, according to a study from Aquacraft, a consultancy.

Three-quarters of the decline is attributable to the wider adoption of efficient toilets and clothes washers. Toilets represent the largest indoor water use, with showers coming second.

More savings are possible. The study reckons that indoor water use could drop another 35 percent or more if all households had the most efficient appliances, fixtures, and leak detecting equipment on the market.

The graphic below shows the change in average household water use between 1999 and 2016 for a variety of fixtures.

Indoor water use declined by 22 percent between 1999 and 2016. Toilets used more water than any other fixture. 
Graphic © Kaye LaFond / Circle of Blue