Evaluating your well Solutions for under performing wells are costly. When you are purchasing a home in a rural area, adequate supply from a private water well or spring is critical to your evaluation of the purchase. Performing our well flow test can help you to understand how your well is performing. We report on water characteristics (Smell, Color, Continuous Flow) as well as tested total well water produced and the flow rate in Gallons Per Minute. The total daily water use is less important than the peak daily water use or the peak demand. In reality, most of the water used in the home occurs over a very short time period, usually in the morning or evening. Estimating Home Water Use Needs In general, we use 50 to 100 gallons per person per day in our homes (200 to 400 gallons per day for a family of four). The household water use estimates given below can be used to calculate more specific daily water use values for your home. Typical water use for various appliances and fixtures in the home. Clothes washer (top-loading) 43 to 51 gallons per load Clothes washer (front-loading) 27 gallons per load Dishwasher (standard) 7 to 14 gallons per load Dishwasher (efficient) 4.5 gallons per load Garbage disposal 4 gallons per day Kitchen sink 3 gallons per minute of use Bathroom sink 2 gallons per minute of use Shower or tub 5 gallons per minute of use Toilet (low-flush) 1.6 gallons per flush Toilet (standard) 5 gallons per flush Outside hose (½-inch) 5 gallons per minute of use Water softener regeneration 50 to 100 gallons per cycle
For more information visit NYS Dept. of Health
