Are you saving water or sploshing it down the drain? Take our quiz to find out

1. Which of these household activities uses the most water on average?

   1. Having a four-minute shower.

   2. Handwashing dishes.

   3. Running the washing machine.

   4. Taking a bath.

2. Which percentage of the water put into England and Wales’s water supply is used by households?

   1. 10%.

   2. 33%.

   3. 59%.

   4. 82%.

3. How many litres of water does the average person in England and Wales use per day?

   1. 51 litres.

   2. 76.5 litres.

   3. 105 litres.

   4. 136 litres.

4. How many miles of piping brings water to homes and businesses across England and Wales?

   1. 264,000.

   2. 128,000.

   3. 507,000.

   4. 396,000.

5. How many litres of water do water companies take from the environment each day?

   1. 1.29bn.

   2. 5.34bn.

   3. 14.63bn.

   4. 20.18bn.

6. In the average household, how much water is used each day for garden and outdoor use?

   1. 25%.

   2. 5%.

   3. 40%.

   4. 33%.

7. What percentage of English households have a smart water meter?

   1. 5%.

   2. 12%.

   3. 22%.

   4. 32%.

8. How much water does a washing machine use for an average cycle?

   1. 20 litres.

   2. 30 litres.

   3. 40 litres.

   4. 50 litres.

9. How much of England’s drinking water comes from underground sources such as aquifers?

   1. 60%.

   2. 20%.

   3. 30%.

   4. 50%.

10. Up to how many litres of water can a single dripping tap waste per month?

    1. 115 litres.

    2. 365 litres.

    3. 415 litres.

    4. 645 litres.

Solutions

1:D - Taking a bath uses the most water in a household, averaging 80 litres per soak. In second place is the four-minute shower at 54 litres but a longer shower can easily use more water than a bath, so if you’re keen to save water, keep yours short. , 2:C - While British industries such as agriculture, energy and manufacturing use a fair bit of water, households actually take the lion’s share – which is why doing our bit to save water isn’t just a drop in the ocean., 3:D - Most of us drastically underestimate how much water we use each day: in one poll, people in England and Wales estimated that each household uses just 62 litres of water a day – when it’s actually more than 300 litres., 4:A - If you laid the pipes out from end to end, they would reach beyond the moon!, 5:C - Our water comes from sources such as reservoirs, lakes, rivers and aquifers, and the water industry is working to reduce the amount we take. In 2024-25, the figure dropped by 27m litres a day compared with the previous year. But to ensure the health of our ecosystems, this must continue to fall. The industry is working to reduce how much is needed overall, alongside helping people use water more efficiently., 6:B - Perhaps surprisingly, 5% on average is soaked up by garden and outdoor use but this spikes in hot weather and puts pressure on the water system. So resist the temptation to splash out with the hosepipe as that can use up to 20 litres a minute. Top spot for household use goes to showering and bathing at 40%; loo flushing is second at 25%., 7:B - A smart water meter can help you identify where there might be leaks occurring in your home, as well as giving you the chance to keep an eye on your water use, so you can work out where to cut down. Smart meters are being rolled out across England, helping households better understand their water use over time., 8:D - Each cycle uses a hefty 50 litres so it's best to try to run your washing machine only when you have a full load. And if possible use eco-mode as that cuts water consumption to 35 litres., 9:C - Water from aquifers – underground layers of permeable rock that act like giant sponges – is a vital part of our water supply. They are replenished with rainwater that seeps into the ground but climate change is affecting how well this happens; topsoil is being baked hard in summer while in winter intense downpours run off into rivers rather than soaking into the soil., 10:C - It’s not just a niggling annoyance: a dripping tap can actually lose 5,000 litres over the course of a year. If you’ve got a drip that needs sorting, it’s better to get it fixed sooner rather than later so you’re not letting thousands of litres of water go down the drain.

Scores

1. 10 and above.

   Water expert. You know more about how we use water than most!

2. 9 and above.

   Water expert. You know more about how we use water than most!

3. 8 and above.

   Water expert. You know more about how we use water than most!

4. 7 and above.

   Not too bad. You've got a decent understanding of how we use water, but there's still plenty left to explore.

5. 6 and above.

   Not too bad. You've got a decent understanding of how we use water, but there's still plenty left to explore.

6. 5 and above.

   Not too bad. You've got a decent understanding of how we use water, but there's still plenty left to explore.

7. 4 and above.

   Not too bad. You've got a decent understanding of how we use water, but there's still plenty left to explore.

8. 3 and above.

   More to learn. The more you know about how we use water, the better you'll be able to help protect our supplies.

9. 2 and above.

   More to learn. The more you know about how we use water, the better you'll be able to help protect our supplies.

10. 0 and above.

    More to learn. The more you know about how we use water, the better you'll be able to help protect our supplies.

11. 1 and above.

    More to learn. The more you know about how we use water, the better you'll be able to help protect our supplies.