Sweep a patio instead of hosing it
Why this can help
A broom can remove loose leaves and grit without the water used by a hose. Count only cleaning sessions where sweeping actually replaces hosing.
One possible next step
For the next loose leaves on the patio, take a broom and dustpan and leave the hose off.
What changes the outcome
Measure the hose flow at its usual setting and subtract any water still used. Necessary washing or disinfection is outside this comparison. The result is water volume, without an energy or carbon conversion.
Your illustrative scenario
Over one year · with the assumptions below
You
1,300 litres of water used less
You + 10 friends
14,300 litres of water used less
1,000 participants
1,300,000 litres of water used less
These are scenarios, not measured personal or collective savings. One separate household per participant. People sharing a home count it once, not once each.
Your inputs
- Hose flow before
- 10 L/min
- Hosing minutes per cleaning
- 5 min
- Water still used per cleaning
- 0 L
- Replaced cleanings per year
- 26
Calculation of the difference: (10 L/min × 5 min − 0 L) × 26 = 1,300 litres of water used
Calculation boundaries
Water delivered for the same suitable patio cleaning. Subtract any remaining wash water, even if it reverses the result. No credit for sessions that would not otherwise use a hose; no energy or carbon conversion.
10 L/min, 5 minutes and 26 cleanings per year are hypothetical inputs; zero water after represents dry sweeping. Measure flow by collecting a known volume over a timed interval at the usual setting.
Sources and calculation references
- Start SavingU.S. Environmental Protection Agency, WaterSense · 2026
- WaterSense at Work: Best Management Practices for Commercial and Institutional FacilitiesU.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Water · 2012
Read the method: universalizable.com/en/method/ · One sheet · print double-sided, long-edge binding