In the kitchen:

1. When washing dishes by hand, don't let the water run while rinsing. Fill one sink with wash water and the other with rinse water.
2. Keep a pitcher of water in the refrigerator instead of running the tap for cold drinks.
3. Wash your produce in the sink or a pan that is partially filled with water instead of running water from the tap.
4. Collect the water you use for rinsing produce and re-use it to water houseplants.
5. Designate one glass for your drinking water each day. This will cut down on the number of times you run your dishwasher.
6. Don't use running water to thaw food.
7. Soak your pots and pans instead of letting the water run while you scrape them clean.
8. Install an instant water heater on your kitchen sink so you don't have to let the water run while it heats up.
9. Cook food in as little water as possible.
10. If you accidentally drop ice cubes when filling your glass from the freezer, don't throw them in the sink. Drop them in a houseplant instead.
11. Run your dishwasher only when it is full.

In the bathroom:

1. Turn off the water while you brush your teeth and save four gallons a minute.
2. Make sure your toilet flapper doesn't stick open after flushing.
3. Drop your tissues in the trash instead of flushing them in the toilet.
4. If your shower can fill a one-gallon bucket in less than 20 seconds, replace it with a water-efficient showerhead.
5. Time your shower to keep it under five minutes. Even a one or two minute reduction in shower time saves 700 gallons per month.
6. Install low-volume toilets.
7. Put food coloring into your toilet tank. If it seeps into the toilet bowl, you have a leak. Fix the leak and you can save more than 600 gallons a  month.
8. Plug the bathtub before turning the water on, then adjust the temperature as the tub fills up.
9. Bathe your young children together. (Adults, follow suit if you'd like.)
10. If your toilet was installed prior to 1980, place a toilet dam or bottle filled with water in your toilet tank to cut down on the amount of water used for each flush.
11. Turn off the water while you shave.
12. To save water and time, consider washing your face or brushing your teeth while in the shower.
13. Keep a bucket in the shower to catch water as it warms up or runs. Use this water to flush toilets or water plants.
14. Teach your children to turn the faucets off tightly after each use.

Outdoors:

1. Install covers on pools and spas and check for leaks around your pumps.
2. Check your water meter and bill to track your water usage.
3. Use a layer of organic mulch around plants to reduce evaporation and save hundreds of gallons of water a year.
4. Use a broom instead of a hose to clean your driveway or sidewalk.
5. Check outside for leaky faucets, pipes and hoses.
6. Next time you add or replace a flower or shrub, choose a low-water use plant for year-round landscape color and save up to 550 gallons each year.
7. Avoid overseeding your lawn with winter grass. Once established, ryegrass needs water every three to five days, whereas dormant Bermuda grass needs water only once a month.
8. Direct downspouts and other runoff toward shrubs and trees, or collect for your garden.
9. Start a compost pile. Using compost when you plant adds water-holding organic matter to the soil.
10. Bathe your pets outdoors in an area in need of water.
11. Winterize outdoor spigots when temperatures dip to 20 degrees to prevent pipes from bursting or freezing.

Other Ideas:

1. When you clean your fish tank, use the water you've drained to water your plants. The water is rich in nitrogen and phosphorus, providing you with a free and effective fertilizer.
2. Use a commercial car wash that recycles water.
3. Insulate hot water pipes so you don't have to run as much water to get hot water to the faucet.
4. Encourage your school to help develop and promote a water conservation ethic among children.
5. Do one thing each day that will save water. Even if savings are small, every drop counts.

Tips from Our Readers: 

• Use high-efficiency (HE) laundry machines and detergents that are rated for HE machines. This uses less water per load of laundry. Use one rinse cycle instead of two. ~ contributed by David Collins
• When turning on your shower, have a bucket of water to collect the water as it is warming up. This water can be used to water plants, or to flush your toilet. ~ contributed by Sherry Dickstein
• Turn off the water in the shower to soap up and wash hair. Then rinse your body and hair simultaneously! ~ contributed by Barb Schwartz

Share your water conservation tips!