Hey Daniel! How much water is used is partially determined by the load size and cycle selected. Non-HE top load washers can use over 40 gallons of water per cycle, while Samsung HE top load washers use up to 28 gallons of water per cycle. Also, the entire amount of water is used over the course of the cycle. The initial fill does not represent the amount of water that will be used by the time the cycle is over. ^Jecca