The average per-person indoor water use is 69.3 gallons each day, reports the American Water Works Association. For a family of four, that adds up to nearly 300 gallons a day. If you believe that's too much, or find your family's use is much higher, try taking steps to use less. Even saving a few gallons a day will take a load off your wallet and the environment.
Showering
Replace your current showerhead with a high-efficiency fixture. Showerheads made before 1992 may have flow rates of 5.5 gallons per minute or more, while federal regulations now require flow rates of 2.5 gallons per minute or less. Reduce the length of your showers even if you use a high-efficiency showerhead; every minute you take off your shower time can save up to 75 gallons a month, says the California Water Service Co. Take showers instead of baths: It takes about 70 gallons of water to fill a typical bathtub, while a five-minute shower uses between 10 and 25 gallons, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Flushing
Replacing an older toilet that uses 3.5 gallons per flush with one that uses 1.28 gallons or less per flush can save a family of four more than $90 a year on its water bill, reports the EPA. If you can't replace your toilet, put a brick or jar filled with water in the tank to reduce the amount of water in each flush. Don't flush tissues, hair and other nonessentials; limit flushing whenever possible.
Dishes
If you wash your dishes by hand, try to limit running water while you're washing. A dual-bowl sink can have one side that contains wash water and the other rinse water, eliminating the need to keep the faucet running. Late-model dishwashers are designed to clean more thoroughly than older ones, so there's no need to prerinse dishes. If your dishwasher isn't so efficient, try scraping off most of the excess food before rinsing to shorten the amount of time needed. Wait to run the dishwasher until you have a full load.
Laundry
Stick to full loads of laundry or be sure to use the appropriate load-size selection on your washing machine; washing small loads on the extra-large setting, for example, wastes a lot of water. Replace your old washing machine with a new, front-loading model. High-efficiency washing machines use fewer than 28 gallons of water per load, compared with the 41 gallons per load used by standard machines, the EPA notes.
Leaks
Leaks can be the worst culprit when it comes to wasting water, so keep an eye out for signs of leaks and fix the problem immediately. A leaky faucet can waste more than 3,000 gallons of water a year, and a leaky toilet 200 gallons a day, the EPA states. If your water bill seems unusually high, a leak may be the culprit. A leaking faucet is obvious, but other leaks may be less so. Test a toilet for leaks by putting a drop of food coloring in the tank. If the color shows up in the bowl without flushing, the tank leaks.
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