Testing water efficiency

The ultimate guide to testing the water efficiency of your/any faucet or showerhead.

Step 1

PLACE A 1-LITRE JUG UNDER THE FAUCET OR SHOWERHEAD YOU’D LIKE TO TEST, and measure the time (in seconds) it takes for the jug to be roughly full.

NEXT, DIVIDE THE NUMBER OF SECONDS BY 60; then divide 1L by your answer to find the flow rate in litres per minute.

PLACE A 1-LITRE JUG UNDER THE FAUCET OR SHOWERHEAD YOU’D LIKE TO TEST, and measure the time (in seconds) it takes for the jug to be roughly full.

NEXT, DIVIDE THE NUMBER OF SECONDS BY 60; then divide 1L by your answer to find the flow rate in litres per minute.

	Shower Head (Ltrs/Min)	Kitchen Faucet (Ltrs/Min)	Bathroom Faucet (Ltrs/Min)	Toilet Flushing Cistern (Ltrs)
Very Efficient	Less than 6 L	Less than 4.5 L	Less than 3.5 L	-
Efficient	6 L - 7 L	4.5 L - 5.5 L	3.5 L - 4.5 L	Less than 4.5 L
Average	7 L - 8 L	5.5 L - 6.5 L	4.5 L - 5.5 L	4.5 L - 6 L
High	8 L - 9 L	6.5 L - 7.5 L	5.5 L - 6.5 L	More than 6 L
Very High	More than 9 L	More than 7.5 L	More than 6.5 L	-

Number of residents in the household	1	2	3	4	5
Litres Per Person Per Day
Very Efficient	Less than 75 L	Less than 52 L	Less than 45 L	Less than 41 L	Less than 37 L
Efficient	75 L - 102 L	52 L - 79 L	45 L - 72 L	41 L - 68 L	37 L - 64 L
Average	102 L - 129 L	79 L - 106 L	72 L - 99 L	68 L - 95 L	64 L - 91 L
High	129 L - 157 L	106 L - 133 L	95 L - 126 L	95 L - 122 L	91 L - 118 L
Very High	More than 156 L	More than 133 L	More than 126 L	More than 122 L	More than 118 L

Toilet

Reduce your flush volume by either, installing a dual flush mechanism or reducing the volume by adding a water displacement device such as bottle filled with water.

Handwash basin and Kitchen Faucet

Installing a faucet aerator or a flow regulating device. Such devices control the amount of water used whilst maintaining adequate water flow for use.
Aerators need to be cleaned periodically, as any limescale (Gebla) or solid particles blocking the aerator can reduce the efficiency of the device. This may involve brushing the aerator with a brush under running water or using vinegar to remove limescale.
If the aerators are functioning properly and flow rates are still high, then one can adjust the flow rate from the angle valve located beneath the sink unit.

Shower head

Install a water efficient showerhead. This incorporates a flow reducer in the design which uses less water.
Or install a flow regulating device to your current showerhead. This usually screws on between the shower hose and the shower head.