Ways to save water in the bathroom Reducing consumption when flushing and showering

Water is a precious resource that is scarce in many regions. Handling water carefully – particularly drinking water – is therefore of great importance.

Data on water usage in the bathroom

Woman leaning on a washbasin in a bathroom with Geberit AquaClean Sela shower toilet and Geberit VariForm washbasin and furniture

A person in Switzerland consumes 140 litres of drinking water a day in their own household, a person in Germany 127 litres. That's around 50,000 litres per person per year!

Around two-thirds of the water consumed in a European household on average every day happens in the bathroom. One-third is taken up by personal hygiene, including baths and showers. A further third is used by the toilet flush.

However, water can be saved in exactly these areas with a minimum of effort.

Seven tips for saving water in the bathroom

Tip 1: Take a shower instead of a bath

Although a bath is nice and relaxing, it uses significantly more water than a shower. While a shower uses between 40 and 60 litres on average, a bath can quickly use 150 to 200 litres. A full bathtub even contains as much as 250 litres.

In addition to saving water, showers also save energy as the water has to be heated up. A bath filled with hot water requires more than one litre of heating oil.

Tip 2: Take shorter showers

But watch out, saving water and energy is only realistic when showers are kept short. Each minute, around 10 to 12 litres of water run off down the drain on average. Showering for more than ten minutes can quickly use over 100 litres of water. Taking a short shower is thus recommended.

Tip 3: Install a water-saving shower head

A water-saving shower head can reduce the flow rate of water in the shower significantly. In contrast to a conventional shower head, the water-saving version has a water flow rate of 6-9 litres per minute, depending on the model. Many models are equipped with a stop button or different intensities. The flow of water can also be reduced using special tap enhancement solutions. The result is effective water saving in the bathroom!

Hand pressing the small flush on the Geberit Sigma50 actuator plate

Tip 4: Use dual-flush actuator plates or a flush-stop pushbutton when flushing the toilet

6 to 9 litres of drinking water end up in the toilet on average with each flush. Modern toilet flushes are real water savers. By using Geberit dual-flush actuator plates, you can reduce the small flush to below 3 litres. The full flush volume can be set to 4 litres. This is thanks to the Geberit flush valve in the cistern.

Ask your plumber about the optimal setting for your toilet. The flush-stop pushbutton is an alternative to dual-flush actuator plates and is used to manually interrupt the flushing process.

Man shaving at washbasin with Geberit ONE furniture and mirror cabinet

Tip 5: Don’t let the water run

Brushing your teeth, washing your hands or shaving all take time. While you usually need water at the beginning and end, there is no sense in letting the water run in between. This then flows directly down the drain without being used.

Turning the tap off temporarily can save a considerable amount of water!

Macro image with hands turning a Geberit ONE tap and checking the water flow and temperature

Tip 6: Use cold water instead of hot water

Preparing hot water uses additional energy. Furthermore, it always takes a while for the hot water to make its way from the boiler to the tap. In the meantime, unused cold water flows out of the tap.

Washing your hands quickly with hot water results in disproportionately high water consumption.

Tip 7: Repair any dripping taps

A constantly dripping tap doesn’t just get on your nerves, it also puts a strain on your water bill – and thus the environment. A dirty or worn seal is usually the reason for a dripping tap. This seal can be cleaned or replaced with a minimum of fuss.

FAQs on water usage when showering and more

How high is the average water usage when showering?

When showering, the water usage depends on the length of your shower and the installed shower head. On average, showering uses 10 to 12 litres of water per minute. Anyone showering for longer than ten minutes then uses about as much water as when taking a bath.