Water Usage in Northern Ireland 2025/26

Key points

Individual water usage

In 2025/26, almost half of respondents (48%) indicated that they shower 7 times a week with around 9 in 10 (89%) showering three or more times a week.
When asked how long on average is each shower, 43% indicated a duration of 5 minutes or less with a similar proportion (45%) responding 6 to 10 minutes. Only 1% of respondents reported showering for longer than 20 minutes on average.
Nearly two-thirds (65%) of respondents never use, or don’t own a bath and only 8% use a bath more than once a week.

Household water usage

The majority of households (84%) indicated that they have a hosepipe or bucket at home for outside use.
When asked how often they used a washing machine, 85% of households indicated that they used a washing machine more than once a week, with a quarter (25%) indicating that they use it every day
The most common response to being asked about dishwasher usage was not owning a dishwasher at 43%. Almost one-fifth (18%) indicated that they use a dishwasher daily.
Just under three-quarters of households (72%) indicated that they had a dual flush toilet in their home.

Introduction

This publication presents findings from the 2025/26 Continuous Household Survey (CHS) on household water usage in Northern Ireland. Questions on household water usage within Northern Ireland were commissioned by DfI on behalf on N.I. Water.

Please note that further analysis and Section 75 breakdowns may be available on request from ASRB.

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Part 1: Individual Water Usage

Respondents to the Continuous Household Survey were asked three questions about their showering and bathing habits.

1.1 Showers per week

Respondents were asked “How many times a week on average do you shower?”. The results were then sorted into groups.

Figure 1: How many times on average do you take a shower? (%)

Nearly half (48%) of respondents said they shower 7 times a week, and about a quarter (24%) of respondents shower approximately every other day. Only 12% showering less than 3 times a week.

Figure 2: How many times on average do you take a shower? (Year Comparison) (%)

Shower frequency has remained similar since 2023/24.

1.2 Shower duration

Respondents were asked “How long on average is each shower?”.

Figure 3: How long on average is each shower? (%)

Respondents were most likely to shower for between 6 and 10 minutes (45%), while a similar proportion showered for less than 5 minutes (43%). Only 1% of respondents shower for more than 20 minutes.

Figure 4: How long on average is each shower? (by Sex) (%)

Around half (51%) of male respondents said they shower for between 2 and 5 minutes compared with 34% of females. Only 7% of males responded to showering for longer than 10 minutes compared with 18% for female respondents.

Figure 5: How long on average is each shower? (by Settlement Type) (%)

There are no statistically significant differences in shower duration between respondents who live in rural areas and respondents who live in urban areas.

Figure 6: How long on average is each shower? (by Deprivation Quintiles) (%)

There are no statistically significant differences in shower duration between respondents living in the most deprived areas and those living in the least deprived areas.

1.3 Bath frequency

Respondents were asked “How often do you have a bath?”.

Figure 7: How often do you have a bath? (%)

Almost two-thirds of respondents (65%) don’t use a bath, consisting of 24% who don’t own a bath and 41% indicating that they own a bath, but never use it. For those respondents indicating that they do use a bath, the most frequently selected category was less than once a month (12%).

Figure 8: How often do you have a bath? (by Deprivation Quintiles) (%)

For those respondents living in the most deprived areas, 34% don’t own a bath compared with 15% of those living in the least deprived areas.

Of those living in the least deprived areas 36% own a bath but never use it in contrast with 43% for those living in the least deprived areas.

Part 2: Household Water Usage

The questions in part 2 are about water usage as a household rather than individual usage.

2.1 Hosepipe and bucket ownership

Figure 9: Do you have a hosepipe or bucket at home for outside use? (%)

More than four-fifths of respondents (84%) have a hosepipe or bucket at home for outside use.

Figure 10: Do you have a hosepipe or bucket at home for outside use? (by Respondent Group) (%)

When asked if they had a hosepipe or bucket for outside use 90% of households in Rural areas reported “yes” compared with 80% of households in Urban areas. Fewer households in the most deprived areas (68%) reported having a hosepipe or bucket for outside use compared with households in the least deprived areas (91%).

Figure 11: Do you have a hosepipe or bucket at home for outside use? (by Local Government District) (%)

At least three-quarters of respondents in every LGD indicated having a hosepipe or bucket for outside use. Those living in Belfast (75%) were less likely to have one, than those living in Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon (89%).

2.2 Hosepipe and bucket usage

Figure 12: What do you use the hosepipe/bucket for? (%)

^{Respondents were allowed to choose multiple options for this
question.}

The most common reason given to use a hosepipe and bucket was for “Watering plants” at 63%. Almost half (49%) of respondents reported using it for “Washing my car” and 44% use it for “Power washing”.

Figure 13: What do you use the hosepipe/bucket for? (by Settlement Type) (%)

Those households in Rural areas were more likely to report using a hosepipe or bucket for “Washing my car” (56%) than households in Urban areas (43%).

Figure 14: What do you use the hosepipe/bucket for? (by Deprivation Quintiles) (%)

Households in most deprived areas (52%) were less likely to report using their hosepipe or bucket for “Watering plants” than those in least deprived areas (71%). Similarly, households in least deprived areas were less likely to indicate hosepipe/ bucket use for both “Washing my car” (36% and 56% respectively) and, “Watering the lawn” (22% and 36% respectively). However, those living in the most deprived areas (52%) were more likely to use their hosepipe/bucket for “Power washing” than those living in the least deprived areas (42%).

2.3 Washing machine usage

The survey asked the question “How often on average would you use a washing machine in your home?” giving categories of frequency as options.

Figure 15: How often on average would you use a washing machine in your home? (%)

Almost all respondents had a washing machine with only 1% without one. The majority of households (85%) indicated that they use a washing machine more than once a week, with a quarter (25%) indicating that they used it every day.

Figure 16: How often on average would you use a washing machine in your home? (by Stettlement Type) (%)

Households in Rural areas (32%) were more likely to use their washing machine every day than households in Urban areas (21%).

Figure 17: How often on average would you use a washing machine in your home? (by Deprivation Quintiles) (%)

^{Note that due to disclosure control, categories with small
numbers of respondents have been supressed, therefore totals will not
equal 100%.}

The proportions of those who reported using washing machines every day was similar for those living in the most deprived (27%) and least deprived areas (24%).

2.4 Dishwasher usage

Figure 18: How often on average would you use a dishwasher in your home? (%)

Almost one-fifth (18%) indicated using a dishwasher every day in their household. More than two-fifths of households (43%) indicated that they did not own a dishwasher.

Figure 19: How often on average would you use a dishwasher in your home? (by Settlement Type) (%)

Just over a third (34%) of households in rural areas owned a dishwasher contrasted with almost half (49%) of households in urban areas.

Figure 20: How often on average would you use a dishwasher in your home? (by Deprivation Quintiles) (%)

Dishwasher ownership varied significantly by Deprivation. For households in the most deprived areas 62% did not own a dishwasher compared with 27% in the least deprived areas.

2.5 Dual flush toilets

Nearly three-quarters of households (72%) households indicated that they have a dual flush toilet in their home.

Figure 22: Do you have a dual flush toilet in your home? (by Respondent Group) (%)

Rural households (69%) were less likely than Urban households (74%) to have a dual flush toilet. Households in the most deprived areas (68%) were also less likely to have a dual flush toilet compared with households in the least deprived areas (81%).

Figure 23: Do you have a dual flush toilet in your home? (by Local Government District) (%)

Responses to dual flush ownership ranged from 61% in “Fermanagh and Omagh” to 84% in “Lisburn and Castlereagh”. ㅤ

Contact information

Appendices

Appendix A: Technical notes

The Northern Ireland Continuous Household Survey

Data Collection

The information presented in this publication derives from the Northern Ireland Continuous Household Survey (CHS), a Northern Ireland wide household survey administered by Central Survey Unit (CSU), Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA).

It is based on a sample of the general population resident in private households and has been running since 1983. The survey is designed to provide a regular source of information on a wide range of social and economic issues relevant to Northern Ireland. The water usage in Northern Ireland questions are included in Appendix C of this report.

Data Quality

Data were collected by CSU and various validation checks were carried out as part of the processing. CSU is the leading social survey research organisation in Northern Ireland and is one of the main business areas of NISRA, an Agency within the Department of Finance. CSU has a long track record and a wealth of experience in the design, management and analysis of behavioural and attitude surveys in the context of a wide range of social policy issues. CSU procedures are consistent with the Code of Practice for Statistics.

The CHS sample was assessed and considered to be a representative sample of the Northern Ireland population at household level.

Whilst data quality is considered to be very good, note that all survey estimates are subject to a degree of error and this must be taken account of when considering results. This error will be reasonably small for the majority of Northern Ireland level results but care should be taken when looking at results based on smaller breakdowns.

Respondents

Fieldwork for 2025/26 CHS started on 1 April 2025 and ended on the 31 March 2026. A total of 3,459 households took part in the survey; within those 3,459 households, a total of 4,004 individuals took part in the survey. To reduce survey length, the questionnaire consisted of a split sample. This means that depending on the serial number of the questionnaire (even or odd) the respondents would be exposed to a different set of questions for part of the questionnaire. Household water questions were included in even versions of the questionnaire only.

Weighting

To address non-response bias, data presented based on individual responses have been weighted by sex and age; unweighted total respondent counts have also been provided where appropriate. Data presented based on household response remain unweighted.

Confidence Intervals

No sample is likely to reflect precisely the characteristics of the population it is drawn from because of both sampling and non-sampling errors. An estimate of the amount of error due to the sampling process can be calculated. For a simple random sample design, in which every member of the sampled population has an equal and independent chance of inclusion in the sample, the sampling error of any percentage, p, can be calculated by the formula: s.e. (p) = √(p*(100 – p)/n where n is the number of respondents on which the percentage is based. The sample for the Continuous Household Survey is drawn as a random sample, and thus this formula can be used to calculate the sampling error of any percentage estimate from the survey. Confidence intervals are included in Appendix B of this report.

Multiple Response Questions

Multiple response questions are those for which respondents can give more than one response if they wish. In such questions, when individual percentages are summed they may add to more than 100%.

Rounding Conventions

Percentages have been rounded to whole numbers and as a consequence some percentages may not sum to 100.

0% may reflect rounding down of values under 0.5.

Significant Difference

Any statements in this report regarding differences between groups such as males and females, different age groups, dependant status, etc., are statistically significant at the 95% confidence level. This means that we can be 95% confident that the differences between groups are actual differences and have not just arisen by chance. Both the base numbers and the sizes of the percentages have an effect on statistical significance.

Therefore on occasion, a difference between two groups may be statistically significant while the same difference in percentage points between two other groups may not be statistically significant. The reason for this is because the larger the base numbers or the closer the percentages are to 0 or 100, the smaller the standard errors. This leads to increased precision of the estimates which increases the likelihood that the difference between the proportions is actually significant and did not just arise by chance.

Respondent Groups

The following respondent groups were considered:

Age group

The age of the respondent is grouped into the following age bands:

16-34
35-49
50-64
65 and over.

Sex

Sex of respondent is defined as whether the respondent is male or female.

Urban and rural areas

Urban and rural areas have been classified using the statistical classification of settlements defined by the Inter-Departmental Urban-Rural Definition Group.

Bands A to E are classified as Urban. This includes Belfast Metropolitan Urban Area (Band A), Derry Urban Area (Band B) and large, medium and small towns (Bands C-E) with populations greater than or equal to 5,000 people.
Bands F to H are classified as rural. This includes intermediate settlements (Band F), villages (Band G) and small villages, hamlets and open countryside (Band H) with populations of less than 5,000 people and including open countryside.

Local Government District

Local Government Districts include the 11 district council areas:

Antrim and Newtownabbey
Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon
Belfast
Causeway Coast and Glens
Derry and Strabane
Fermanagh and Omagh
Lisburn and Castlereagh
Mid and East Antrim
Mid Ulster
Newry, Mourne and Down
North Down and Ards

Multiple Deprivation Measure

The measures, known as NIMDM 2017, were informed through public consultation and Steering Group agreement, and provide a mechanism for ranking the 890 Super Output areas (SOAs) in Northern Ireland from the most deprived (rank 1) to the least deprived (rank 890).

They include ranks of the areas for each of 7 distinct types (or domains) of deprivation, which have been combined to produce an overall multiple deprivation measure (MDM) rank of the areas.

Deprivation quintiles

1 - Most deprived
2
3
4
5 - Least deprived

Disability

‘Disability’ is measured using ‘limiting long-standing illness’. Respondents are defined as having a limiting long standing illness if they have any physical or mental health conditions or illnesses lasting or expected to last for 12 months or more, and the condition(s) or illness(es) reduce their ability to carry out day to day activities.

Appendix B: Confidence intervals

A confidence interval represents the range of values in which the true population value is likely to lie. It is based on the sample estimate and the confidence level. As the percentages are calculated from a representative sample of the Northern Ireland population (aged 16 and over), a confidence interval can be calculated to estimate the level of uncertainty in the sample estimate.

95% confidence intervals were calculated for the headline figures. Table B1 summarizes the confidence intervals for Water Usage in Northern Ireland.

Table B1: Confidence intervals for Water Usage in Northern Ireland.

Measure	Estimate (%)	Sample (n)	95% Confidence Range +/-	Confidence Interval
% who shower 7 times a week.	48	1,998	2.2	45.9% - 50.3%
% who shower for between 6 and 10 minutes.	45	1,914	2.2	42.5% - 46.9%
% who shower for 20 minutes or more.	1	1,914	0.5	0.9% - 2%
% who own but, don’t use a bath.	41	1,997	2.2	38.5% - 42.8%
% who don’t own a bath.	24	1,997	1.9	22.4% - 26.1%
% who have a hosepipe or bucket at home for outside use.	84	1,734	1.7	81.9% - 85.4%
% who use a washing machine every day.	25	1,734	2.0	23.2% - 27.2%
% who don’t own a dishwasher.	43	1,734	2.3	40.7% - 45.4%
% who own a dual flush toilet.	72	1,730	2.1	70.3% - 74.5%

Appendix C: Water Usage in Northern Ireland Questionnaire

Individual Water Questions

[WATER1] How many times a week on average do you take a shower?

If [WATER1] > 0 [WATER2] How long on average is each shower?

5 minutes or less
6 to 10 minutes
11 to 20 minutes
More than 20 minutes

[WATER8] How often do you have a bath? RUNNING PROMPT/ SHOWCARD SCALE G

More than once per week
Once per week
Once per fortnight
Once per month
Less than once per month
Never – I own a bath, but I never use it.
Never – there is no bath in the property where I live.

NI Water

[WATER3] Do you have a hosepipe or bucket at home for outside use? 1. Yes → [WATER4]
2. No → [WATER5]
If [WATER3] = 1 [WATER4] What do you use the hosepipe/bucket for? RUNNING PROMPT/SELECT ALL THAT APPLY/ SHOWCARD 22

Watering the lawn
Watering plants
Power washing
Washing my car
Filling a paddling pool
Other → [WATER4OTH]
[WATER4OTH] Please specify.

[WATER5] How often on average would you use a washing machine in your home?

Every day
Every other day
Couple of times each week
Once a week
Less than once a week
I don’t have a washing machine.

[WATER6] How often on average would you use a dishwasher in your home?

Every day
Every other day
Couple of times each week
Once a week
Less than once a week
I don’t have a dishwasher.

[WATER7] Do you have a dual flush toilet in your home? INSTRUCTION: A dual flush toilet is one where the toilet has two buttons on the cistern rather than the single-flush button; one button delivers a lesser amount of water and the other a greater amount.

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