Sure, you can save water by buying more efficient appliances, installing low-flow plumbing fixtures and redoing your landscape with hardier plants. But you also can save thousands of gallons a year without spending a dime and without significantly altering your lifestyle. Make a few changes in the bathroom, the kitchen and outdoors, and watch the savings add up.
Shut Off the Tap
Don't let the faucet run the whole time you're brushing your teeth or shaving. A running faucet puts out 2 gallons of water a minute, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Two minutes of brushing your teeth twice a day can waste 8 gallons.
Bathe Smart
Take showers rather than baths. A full bath uses 70 gallons of water, but a five-minute shower uses 10 to 25 gallons, the EPA says. If you need to take baths, close the drain as soon as you turn on the water, and adjust the water temperature as the tub fills.
Water Wisely
Water your lawn in the early morning to minimize evaporation, and don't water on windy days. Make sure your sprinklers are watering only your lawn, not sidewalks and driveways.
Double Up
Wash cars, animals, patio furniture and other items on the lawn rather than the driveway. This will let you skip a watering day on that area of the yard.
Run Full Loads
Run your washing machine and dishwasher only when they are full. "Water--Use It Wisely," a conservation campaign sponsored by several municipalities, says running only full loads of dishes and laundry can save up to 1,000 gallons a month.
Time It
When letting sprinklers or hoses run, use a kitchen timer to keep track of how long they have been going and to remind you to turn them off.
Reuse Ice
Rather than throw leftover or soiled ice down the drain, put it in a houseplant and skip watering for a day.
Avoid Overflushing
Don't flush the toilet unnecessarily. Throw tissues, dead bugs and other items in the trash, and pour liquids in the sink. Every flush uses at least 1.6 gallons, more if the toilet was installed before 1992.
Watch the Disposer
Use your in-sink food disposer sparingly, as these devices require a lot of water to use properly. Scrape food into the garbage, or, better yet, start a compost pile. The Water Conservation Coalition of Santa Cruz County in California also notes that disposers can boost the volume of solids going to a septic tank by as much as 50 percent.
Soak Cookware
Let dirty pots and pans soak for a while rather than scrubbing them under running water for several minutes.
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