For most people, including me, showering is a time to relax and free stress you might have endured recently. But most the time, this serene and calming experience has to be a once in a while thing. In my case, showers are usually with hot water (which also cause a huge impact in your carbon footprint), can usually last up to 20 minutes, and occur 7 times a week. According to a website I found (http://www.home-water-works.org/indoor-use/showers), current national energy policy act standards instruct that all shower heads manufactured in the U.S. have a maximum flow rate of 2.5 gallons per minute. That means that I could be wasting 50 gallons per shower, and possibly 17,500 gallons per year! Cutting down my shower time from 20 to at most 10 minutes could save about 25 gallons per shower, or 8,500 gallons a year! It will not be easy to cut my shower time in half and go from 20 to 10 minutes, but considering the quality of life for our future generations, it is best to take action now.

I too can say that my showers are generally around twenty minutes long. I had never thought of how much water that used every year, so that number is shocking! We could also reduce the amount of water wasted during each shower by simply not turning it on to the full strength. I also hope to reduce my shower time. It requires work on our part, but in the long run, we'll be helping the environment.

I completely agree with both of ya'll.  Another way to reduce water when showering is buying a water efficient shower head. By using one of these, the average family can save 2,900 gallons of water a year. These water savings also reduce need to heat water so your energy need decreases as well. Now talking about national standards, the nation could save $2.2 billion in water bills, 260 billion gallons of water, and $2.6 billion in energy due to heating water.

After calculating my carbon footprint, I too was made aware of the water waste that takes place when we shower for long periods of time. I agree that the numbers are shocking!! Since calculating my footprint, I have tried cutting my shower time down to about 10 minutes each day. I have been very successful so far, and knowing those statistics makes my efforts feel even more worthwhile. I highly encourage anyone thinking about reducing their shower time to give it a chance! It is not as difficult as one may think, and definitely a step in the right direction if you are working to reduce your carbon footprint.

Thank you all for your feedback! I was really surprised when I found out how many gallons per year for a 10 and a 20 minute shower too, McKenna! But I do believe that it will be worth it in the end to take action now. Julia, I agree that using a water efficient shower head can reduce water waste and utility costs. Those numbers are really shocking, and it would be great if the US as a nation could reduce how much money we spend and the carbon emissions we put in the atmosphere. I agree with you regarding how it is not that hard to switch from a 20 to a 10 minute shower! And the results will definitely be worth it in the end!

I too have take about 20 minutes in the shower, and I had no idea about how many gallons of water I wasted per day.  It was very shocking for me, and for my ecology project at school, I decided my action was to cut down the amount of time that I used in the shower.  This way I wouldn't be wasting too much water.  I feel like others should try and do this also, or at least time themselves so they won't be spending too much time in the shower.