Quantification of water consumption associated with different dishwasher pre-treatment behaviours in five European countries

Introduction This study investigates water consumption associated with pre-treatment behaviours before dishwasher use across five European countries: France, Germany, Spain, Sweden, and the UK. Methods Using a novel modelling approach that integrates data from central location testing and consumer surveys, we provide updated estimates of the mean pre-treatment water consumption per dishwashing load. Results Mean water consumption during pre-treatment ranged from 4.4 L per load in France to 8.7 L per load in Sweden, with Germany, the UK, and Spain using 5.3 L, 6.7 L, and 7.1 L per load, respectively. Discussion These updated values provide robust, empirically grounded benchmarks to improve environmental impact assessments and inform understanding of household water use patterns across Europe.