> it appears that a dishwasher will consume at least 2.5 gals per cycle. No way does hand washing use 5 to 7.5 gallons of water per wash. Rinsing dishes requir

> it appears that a dishwasher will consume at least 2.5 gals per cycle. No way does hand washing use 5 to 7.5 gallons of water per wash. Rinsing dishes requires fresh water from the tap, which runs somewhere from 1-2 gallons per minute. After filling a sink (or bucket) with water and rinsing everything, it's easy to use 5+ gal to wash dishes.