1 CCF is 100 cubic feet, which is 748 gallons
CCF stands for "centum cubic feet" — centum is Latin for 100, so one CCF is 100 cubic feet. Since a cubic foot holds 7.48 US gallons, 1 CCF is 748 gallons. US water utilities bill in CCF (some call it HCF, hundred cubic feet), which is why the meter reading never looks like gallons.
The mental shortcut: multiply by 750
748 is awkward, so round to 750 in your head. The error is under 0.3%, fine for checking a bill. A reading of 12 CCF is about 9,000 gallons.
| CCF | US gallons | Cubic feet |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 748 | 100 |
| 5 | 3,740 | 500 |
| 10 | 7,481 | 1,000 |
| 12 | 8,976 | 1,200 |
| 20 | 14,961 | 2,000 |
A typical US family of four uses 8–12 CCF of water a month, roughly 6,000–9,000 gallons.
Two things people get wrong on the bill
- CCF vs MCF. CCF is 100 cubic feet; MCF is 1,000. Reading a CCF value as MCF overstates usage tenfold.
- US vs Imperial gallons. The 748 factor is US gallons. A cubic foot is only 6.23 Imperial gallons, so do not mix the two on a US bill.
Common questions
How many gallons are in 1 CCF?
1 CCF is 748 US gallons (exactly 748.052). It is defined as 100 cubic feet, and each cubic foot holds 7.48 gallons.
How do I read CCF on my water bill?
Multiply the CCF figure by 748 (or 750 for a quick estimate). A bill showing 10 CCF is about 7,480 gallons for the period.
What is the difference between CCF and MCF?
CCF is 100 cubic feet; MCF is 1,000 cubic feet, so 1 MCF equals 10 CCF. Water bills use CCF; MCF shows up for large volumes of natural gas.
