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Many people use a garden hose regularly to transport water for landscaping and cleaning. However, most don’t know how much water their garden hose uses.
In this article, we’ll discuss how much water a typical garden hose uses and explain how to determine the amount your hose uses. We’ll also give some ideas for reducing the amount of water your hose spurts out.
Let’s investigate!
How Much Water Does a Garden Hose Use per Hour?
A standard garden hose uses approximately 540-1,020 gallons of water per hour. However, the water usage varies based on the hose’s diameter, length, and pressure—short, wide models with high water pressure supply the most water.
If you use your garden hose regularly, you should be conscious of how much water you are using to complete basic tasks such as watering your lawn or washing your car.
Typically, garden hoses release 9-17 gallons (34-64 liters) per minute, i.e., 540-1,020 gallons (2,040-3,861 liters) per hour.
How much water your garden hose uses per hour depends on the hose diameter, length and the supply pressure. If your hose has a smaller diameter, less water can escape per minute, resulting in lower water usage.
The hose length is the second element influencing how many gallons per hour a garden hose uses. If water has to travel further down a longer hose, the flow rate decreases. Therefore, longer hoses use less water than shorter models.
However, many people prefer using a shorter hose for landscaping so they don’t have to wait as long for the water to come out of the end.
Finally, the water pressure influences how much water a garden hose uses. The higher the water pressure, the more quickly the water flows through the hose and the more water is used. Water pressure is measured in pounds per square inch (PSI). Most homes have a PSI between 40 and 60.
The following tables summarize water usage for hoses at various diameters, lengths, and water pressures. Standard garden hoses typically come in ½-inch, ⅝-inch, and ¾-inch diameters, so we’ve focused on those models.
These tables use the Hazen-Williams friction loss equation to determine how many gallons of water per minute are used, which we’ve converted into gallons per hour.
Water Usage for a 1/2-Inch Hose (Chart)
| Hose Length | Hose Supply Pressure (psi) | Gallons Per Hour |
| 25 feet (7.62 meters) | 40 psi | 750 (2839 liters) |
| 50 feet (15.24 meters) | 40 psi | 516 (1953 liters) |
| 75 feet (22.86 meters) | 40 psi | 414 (1567 liters) |
| 100 feet (30.48 meters) | 40 psi | 354 (1340 liters) |
| 125 feet (38.1 meters) | 40 psi | 312 (1181 liters) |
| 25 feet (7.62 meters) | 45 psi | 798 (3021 liters) |
| 50 feet (15.24 meters) | 45 psi | 552 (2090 liters) |
| 75 feet (22.86 meters) | 45 psi | 444 (1681 liters) |
| 100 feet (30.48 meters) | 45 psi | 378 (1430 liters) |
| 125 feet (38.1 meters) | 45 psi | 336 (1271 liters) |
| 25 feet (7.62 meters) | 50 psi | 846 (3202 liters) |
| 50 feet (15.24 meters) | 50 psi | 582 (2203 liters) |
| 75 feet (22.86 meters) | 50 psi | 468 (1772 liters) |
| 100 feet (30.48 meters) | 50 psi | 402 (1522 liters) |
| 125 feet (38.1 meters) | 50 psi | 354 (1340 liters) |
| 25 feet (7.62 meters) | 60 psi | 936 (3543 liters) |
| 50 feet (15.24 meters) | 60 psi | 642 (2430 liters) |
| 75 feet (22.86 meters) | 60 psi | 516 (1953 liters) |
| 100 feet (30.48 meters) | 60 psi | 444 (1681 liters) |
| 125 feet (38.1 meters) | 60 psi | 390 (1476 liters) |
Water Usage for a 5/8-Inch Hose
| Hose Length | Hose Supply Pressure (psi) | Gallons Per Hour |
| 25 feet (7.62 meters) | 40 psi | 1,344 (5088 liters) |
| 50 feet (15.24 meters) | 40 psi | 924 (3498 liters) |
| 75 feet (22.86 meters) | 40 psi | 744 (2816 liters) |
| 100 feet (30.48 meters) | 40 psi | 636 (2408 liters) |
| 125 feet (38.1 meters) | 40 psi | 564 (2408 liters) |
| 25 feet (7.62 meters) | 45 psi | 1,434 (5428 liters) |
| 50 feet (15.24 meters) | 45 psi | 984 (3725 liters) |
| 75 feet (22.86 meters) | 45 psi | 792 (2998 liters) |
| 100 feet (30.48 meters) | 45 psi | 678 (2567 liters) |
| 125 feet (38.1 meters) | 45 psi | 600 (2271 liters) |
| 25 feet (7.62 meters) | 50 psi | 1,518 (5746 liters) |
| 50 feet (15.24 meters) | 50 psi | 1,044 (3952 liters) |
| 75 feet (22.86 meters) | 50 psi | 840 (3180 liters) |
| 100 feet (30.48 meters) | 50 psi | 720 (2726 liters) |
| 125 feet (38.1 meters) | 50 psi | 636 (2408 liters) |
| 25 feet (7.62 meters) | 60 psi | 1,674 (6337 liters) |
| 50 feet (15.24 meters) | 60 psi | 1,152 (4361 liters) |
| 75 feet (22.86 meters) | 60 psi | 924 (3498 liters) |
| 100 feet (30.48 meters) | 60 psi | 792 (2998 liters) |
| 125 feet (38.1 meters) | 60 psi | 702 (2657 liters) |
Water Usage for a 3/4-Inch Hose
| Hose Length | Hose Supply Pressure (psi) | Gallons Per Hour |
| 25 feet (7.62 meters) | 40 psi | 2,172 (8222 liters) |
| 50 feet (15.24 meters) | 40 psi | 1.494 (5655 liters) |
| 75 feet (22.86 meters) | 40 psi | 1,200 (4542 liters) |
| 100 feet (30.48 meters) | 40 psi | 1,026 (3884 liters) |
| 125 feet (38.1 meters) | 40 psi | 912 (3452 liters) |
| 25 feet (7.62 meters) | 45 psi | 2,316 (8767 liters) |
| 50 feet (15.24 meters) | 45 psi | 1,590 (6019 liters) |
| 75 feet (22.86 meters) | 45 psi | 1,278 (4838 liters) |
| 100 feet (30.48 meters) | 45 psi | 1,092 (4134 liters) |
| 125 feet (38.1 meters) | 45 psi | 972 (3679 liters) |
| 25 feet (7.62 meters) | 50 psi | 2,448 (9267 liters) |
| 50 feet (15.24 meters) | 50 psi | 1,686 (6382 liters) |
| 75 feet (22.86 meters) | 50 psi | 1,356 (5133 liters) |
| 100 feet (30.48 meters) | 50 psi | 1,158 (4383 liters) |
| 125 feet (38.1 meters) | 50 psi | 1,026 (3884 liters) |
| 25 feet (7.62 meters) | 60 psi | 2,706 (10,243 liters) |
| 50 feet (15.24 meters) | 60 psi | 1,860 (6836 liters) |
| 75 feet (22.86 meters) | 60 psi | 1,494 (5655 liters) |
| 100 feet (30.48 meters) | 60 psi | 1,278 (4838 liters) |
| 125 feet (38.1 meters) | 60 psi | 1,134 (4293 liters) |
How To Reduce Garden Hose Water Usage
If the numbers above surprise you and you’d like to reduce the water you use with your hose, you’re in luck! You can do many things to reduce your garden hose water usage.
Let’s take a look at some popular solutions:
Fill a Bucket for Cleaning
Many people use their garden hoses to clean their vehicles, and while doing so, they may keep the hose running while they scrub their car.
If you want to reduce how much water you use with your hose, we recommend filling a bucket with water and then only using the water in that bucket for cleaning. That way, you know exactly how much water you’ve used, and you won’t waste any by letting the hose run as you scrub.
Install a Water Pressure Valve
A water pressure regulator can decrease the PSI in your hose, reducing the amount of water that flows through. Many people use them for their RVs, but you can use one on your garden hose.
Add Mulch To Your Yard
Adding a layer of mulch around your plants helps mitigate water evaporation, reducing the amount of water you need to hydrate your plants and how often they’ll need watering.
Shredded bark is an excellent mulching option, especially if your yard is on a slope. We also like mulching with straw because it doesn’t break down as quickly as bark, so you won’t have to reapply it too often.
Hand-Water When Possible
If you have a smaller yard, we recommend filling a watering can with water from the hose and using the can to water your lawn by hand. This way, you can get a better idea of how much water you’re using (and how much you need) and avoid wasting water by letting the hose run continuously.
Replace Grass and Plants With Low-Maintenance Substitutes
Suppose you don’t have as much grass or lawn to water. In this case, you probably won’t use your garden hose very often, reducing your overall use and water bill.
You can replace some of the grass in your landscaping design with decorative rock or artificial turf instead, or you may consider replacing your plants with low-water substitutes.
Here are some plants that don’t require as much water to be happy and healthy:
- Agave
- Sedum
- Cacti
- Bougainvillea
- Poppy
- Gaillardia
- Yarrow
- Globe Thistle
- Orange Day Lily
- Desert Rose
- Lavender Cotton
- Portulaca
- Sage Herb
How To Landscape Without Using a Hose
Perhaps merely reducing the amount of water you use with your garden hose isn’t enough, and you’d like to try landscaping entirely without a hose.
Here are some of your best options for how to do that:
Use a Drip Irrigation System
Installing a drip irrigation system is one of the best ways to keep your lawn watered and healthy without using a garden hose. These systems use small tubes in the ground with emitters inside, dripping water into the soil and keeping the moisture levels at an optimal range.
Drip irrigation systems cost approximately $500 to install, but if you are adept at installing the system yourself, you can spend under $100.
Use Greywater to Water Your Yard Instead of a Garden Hose
Greywater is wastewater from sinks, showers, and other areas of the house.
Often, this water isn’t reused and just goes to waste, but it can effectively reduce wastewater and limit how often you use your garden hose. In addition, greywater is safe for soil absorption with most plants. For more information, check out our article about what greywater is used for today.
Setting up a greywater irrigation system is relatively easy. A laundry-to-landscape system doesn’t alter your house’s plumbing at all, and it redirects the water your washing machine uses to a simple irrigation system you can use to tend to your lawn.
A greywater irrigation system is affordable and reduces waste and water usage. The most basic systems cost under $300 to install, and you can even DIY one if you’re venturesome. However, a more complicated system requiring professional installation will likely cost between $500 and $2,000, including labor.
Consider Switching to a Potted Garden
It’s much easier to avoid overwatering a potted plant than it is a plant in free soil. So if you are concerned about your water usage, you can switch to only keeping plants in pots and using watering cans or bulbs to hydrate them.
Watering bulbs are blown glass globes attached to a long spine that provide plants with water, even if you’re not around.
Final Thoughts
Garden hoses use an average of 540-1,020 gallons (2,040-3,861 liters) of water per hour, though the amount varies based on the hose diameter, length, and water pressure.
You can reduce the water volume you use with your hose by adding a pressure valve, mulching your yard, and filling a bucket instead of letting the hose run. You can also try landscaping without using the hose at all.