Dishwasher
Use your automatic dishwasher only when you have a full load. Your dishwasher uses the same amount of water for a small load of dishes as it would for a full load.

Kitchen Sink
Rather than using an electric disposal for kitchen waste, start a compost pile.

Washing machine
When using your automatic washing machine, adjust the water level to the correct setting for the size of load you plan to wash.

Don't leave water running
If you wash dishes by hand, don't let the water run down the drain. If you have two sinks, fill one with soapy water and one with water for rinsing. If you have only one sink, gather washed dishes in a dish rack and rinse them with a spray device or a pan full of hot water.

Drinking water
Try keeping a pitcher or bottle of water in the refridgerator for cool drinking water. Running tap water to cool it off for drinking water is wasteful. Also, if you don't drink all of the water in your glass, rather than dumping the rest down the drain, use it to water a plant.

Check for leaks
Often faucets and pipes can have leaks and we don't even notice. Even the smallest leak can waste up to 20 gallons of water a day. Leaks waste water 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and can often be repaired with only an inexpensive washer.

Check your toilets for leaks
Put a little food coloring into your toilet tank. If the color begins to appear in the bowl, without flushing, you have a leak that should be repaired as soon as possible.

Don't use the toilet as a waste basket
Every time you flush a facial tissue or other small bit of trash, you waste five to seven gallons of water.

Showers
Take shorter showers. Long, hot showers can waste five to ten gallons every unneeded minute. Limit your showers to the time it takes to soap up, wash down, and rinse off. You can also install a water-saving shower head to help reduce the amount of water used during a shower.

Baths
Take baths instead of showers. A bath in a partially filled tub uses less water than all but the shortest showers.

Brushing your teeth
Turn off the water while brushing your teeth. There is no need to keep water pouring down the drain. Just wet your brush and turn off the water. You can turn the water back on when you are ready to rinse.

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