Measure the water used by a running tap
A resident fills a 2 L jug in 20 seconds at the usual tap setting. That is 6 L/min. They compare leaving it running while washing dishes with turning it off during scrubbing.
Open CalculatorInputs and calculation
| Tool input | Value |
|---|---|
| Currency | USD |
| Volume or billing unit | m³ |
| Activity measurement | Flow over time |
| Flow (L/min) | 6 |
| Minutes per occurrence | 10 |
| Occurrences per person per day | 1 |
| People (1 for shared use) | 1 |
| Days or equivalent sessions | 30 |
| Price per billing unit (USD) | 3 |
6 L/min × 10 min × 1 × 1 × 30 = 1800 L. Divide by 1,000 for m³ and multiply by 3 for USD 5.40.
Tool result · USD 5.40
| Tool input | Value |
|---|---|
| Currency | USD |
| Volume or billing unit | m³ |
| Activity measurement | Flow over time |
| Flow (L/min) | 6 |
| Minutes per occurrence | 4 |
| Occurrences per person per day | 1 |
| People (1 for shared use) | 1 |
| Days or equivalent sessions | 30 |
| Price per billing unit (USD) | 3 |
6 L/min × 4 min × 1 × 1 × 30 = 720 L. Divide by 1,000 for m³ and multiply by 3 for USD 2.16.
Tool result · USD 2.16
What the comparison shows
Turning the tap off for six minutes per session removes 1,080 L from the estimate. The amount of time spent washing dishes can stay the same.
Assumptions and limits
Use actual time with water flowing and a representative tap setting. Basin fills can be entered separately as fixed events.