How much water does a leaky toilet use?

Author: Mr. Dion Sipes  |  Last update: Friday, January 16, 2026

The average leaky toilet can waste about 200 gallons of water per day. That's over 6,000 gallons a month ($70.06*) for just one leaking toilet! Some toilets may produce a running water sound that is easy to hear. Some leaks are visible as a small trickle running from the rim to the water in the bowl.

How much water can be wasted by a leaky toilet each day?

A leaky toilet can waste upwards of 300 USG (or approximately 1 cubic metre, or 1,000 litres) of water EVERY DAY!

Can a dripping toilet increase water bill?

Toilet leaks can waste hundreds of gallons per day and often times are silent. Even a small leak can add up to a lot of wasted water and money over time. Fortunately, most toilet leaks are easy and inexpensive to repair.

Does a leaking toilet use a lot of water?

Research by the water industry has found that around 5 to 8% of our toilets are leaking water into the toilet pan . They are typically wasting between 215 and 400 litres of water a day so, with average consumption at 143 litres per person per day, it is like having a couple of relatives moving in to live with you!

How much water is lost from a leaking toilet?

Running toilets

Another common cause of toilet leaks is when the float arm is not set properly, which causes water to constantly flow down the overflow/refill tube. The EPA reports that an average leaking toilet can waste about 200 gallons of water every day.

How Much Water Does a Leaky Toilet Waste?

How much can a leaking toilet affect your water bill?

Left unnoticed, a running toilet could waste over 6,000 gallons per month. Depending on the rate you pay for water and sewer, this could cost as much as $70 per month! And that's assuming you only have one running toilet in your home. Fortunately, you can detect a leaky or running toilet and stop it in its tracks.

How much water does a 20 year old toilet use?

Toilets made from the early 1980s to 1992 typically used 3.5 gallons per flush (13.2 liters) or more. Toilets made prior to 1980 typically used 5.0 to 7.0 or high gallons per flush (18.9 lpf to 26.5 lpf). The oldest toilets can use more than 8 gallons per flush (30 lpf).

How much does a leaking toilet cost per month?

For minor toilet leaks, your water bill won't be as drastically high; however, it will be higher than normal. A moderate toilet leak will generally waste about 6,000 gallons of water per month and can cost you an additional $70 per month-- $1,000 per year in waste.

How many gallons per minute can a toilet leak?

So that's 1.5 gallons per flush or per 30 seconds, or 3 gallons per minute. For all 1,440 minutes per day, that is up to 4,320 gallons of wasted water! If you left your leaky toilet running this way for an entire week, you'd waste 30,240 gallons of water.

What is the most common reason for a leaky toilet?

An undetected toilet leak could waste as much as 5 gallons of water per minute. The most common toilet leak is caused by a deteriorated flush valve (flapper) at the bottom of the toilet tank.

How much does a dripping toilet cost?

A leaking toilet is hard to spot and could cost you around £50 a month if you're on a meter. Water trickling down the back of the toilet pan can be silent, so it is common for leaky loos to go unnoticed. They can waste around 200 to 400 litres of water a day, which is equivalent to flushing 50 to 100 times.

Why is my water bill so high with no leaks?

If your water usage is unchanged, your city hasn't implemented a rate hike, and you have a high water bill with no visible leaks, the problem may be that you have an issue with your water meter. This isn't a common problem, but it's also not unheard of. To test your water meter, turn off your water.

Can water leaks cause high electric bill?

Also, small water leaks can quickly add up to hundreds of dollars on your bill, so be sure to fix leaky faucets as soon as you see them. If you live in an apartment or condo, a running toilet may also cause your electric bill to go up.

How much water can a leaky loo waste if unattended?

A leaky loo, or a leaking toilet, are silent leaks that tend to go unnoticed. A single leaky loo can waste up to 400 litres of water a day – the equivalent of five full bathtubs.

How much water does a leaking toilet flapper use?

A stuck/open flapper can be caused by a bound up chain connecting the toilet flush handle or the flush handle getting stuck in the down position, resulting in a potential water loss of 200 gallons per hour.

What happens if a toilet runs all night?

What happens if a toilet runs all night? If a toilet runs all night it will waste water and increase your water bill. Excess water can potentially flood your septic tank and lead to failure and saturation of your drain field.

Can a leaking toilet increase the water bill?

A continuously running toilet can waste up to 200 gallons a day or more depending on the volume flow down the drain. This can cause a terrible increase to a family's typical water use, so fix toilet leaks as soon as possible. Some leaks are easy to find, such as a dripping faucet or running toilet.

How much water is wasted by a leaky toilet?

And then there's the toilet, which accounts for almost a quarter of all indoor water use. A leaky toilet can waste 270 litres per day: you'll know it's leaking if you hear it refilling regularly (without a flush) day and night.

How much can a toilet leak in an hour?

A running toilet can use about 57.06 gallons of water per hour.

Are toilet leaks covered by insurance?

If the source of the damage comes from inside your home, such as a water leak from plumbing , a broken pipe or overflowing appliance, you'll likely be covered by your homeowners insurance.

Can I fix leaking toilet myself?

If there's a toilet base leak where the tank connects to the toilet bowl, check the bolts that secure the tank to the bowl and tighten them if needed. If the bolts are tight and the leak persists, replace the bolts and the gasket between the tank and toilet base. Lastly, check for cracks in the tank.

Does a dripping toilet waste water?

A leaky toilet can waste up to 400 litres of drinking water a day, which is enough to fill 5 baths and can more than double the average family's water bill.

How many gallons can a toilet leak in a month?

The average leaky toilet can waste about 200 gallons of water per day. That's over 6,000 gallons a month ($70.06*) for just one leaking toilet! Some toilets may produce a running water sound that is easy to hear. Some leaks are visible as a small trickle running from the rim to the water in the bowl.

How many gallons does a 10 minute shower use?

A standard showerhead flows at a rate of 2.5 gallons per minute . This means that a ten-minute shower only uses 25 gallons of water. A full bath can use up to 50 gallons of water .

What uses the most water in a house?

On average, approximately 70 percent of that water is used indoors, with the bathroom being the largest consumer (a toilet alone can use 27 percent!).

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