How to Save Water (and Money) at Home

In 1990, 30 states in the United States reported 'water-stress' conditions. By 2000, the number of states reporting water-stress rose to 40. In 2009, the number rose to 45 including Texas. More than ever before, it is critical that we take measures at home to conserve water. Not only will you save money by doing so, but you will benefit the greater North Texas community.

Here are 25 Easy Ways to Save at Home:

1. Check for hidden water leaks. Read the house water meter before and after a two-hour period when no water is being used. If the meter does not read exactly the same, there is a leak.

2. Check your toilets for leaks. Put a little food coloring in your toilet tank. If, without flushing, the color begins to appear in the bowl within 30 minutes, you have a leak that should be repaired immediately. Most replacement parts are inexpensive and easy to install.

3. Don't use the toilet as a wastebasket. Every time you flush, five to seven gallons of water are wasted.

4. Put plastic bottles in your toilet tank. To cut down on water waste, put an inch or two of sand or pebbles inside each of two plastic bottles to weigh them down. Fill the bottles with water, screw the lids on, and put them in your toilet tank, safely away from the operating mechanisms. This may save 10 or more gallons of water per day. Be sure at least 3 gallons of water remain in the tank so it will flush properly.

5. Insulate your water pipes. It's easy and inexpensive to insulate your water pipes with pre-slit foam pipe insulation.

6. Install water-saving shower heads and low-flow faucet aerators. Also, all household faucets should be fit with aerators. This single best home water conservation method is also the cheapest.

7. Take shorter showers. A four-minute shower uses approximately 20 to 40 gallons of water.

8. Turn off the water after you wet your toothbrush. Just wet your brush and fill a glass for rinsing.

9. Rinse your razor in the sink. Fill the sink with a few inches of warm water. This will rinse your razor just as well as running water.

10. Check faucets and pipes for leaks. A small drip from a worn faucet washer can waste 20 gallons of water per day. Larger leaks can waste hundreds of gallons.

11. Use your dishwasher and clothes washer for only full loads.

12. Minimize use of kitchen sink garbage disposal units. Start a compost pile or use an indoor kitchen composter as alternate methods of disposing food waste.

13. When washing dishes by hand, don't leave the water running for rinsing. If your have a double-basin, fill one with soapy water and one with rinse water. If you have a single-basin sink, gather washed dishes in a dish rack and rinse them with a spray device or a panful of hot water.

14. Don't let the faucet run while you clean vegetables. Rinse them in a stoppered sink or a pan of clean water.

15. Keep a bottle of drinking water in the fridge. Running tap water to cool it off is wasteful.

16. Water your lawn only when it needs it. Step on the grass. If it springs back up when you move, it doesn't need water. If it stays flat, the lawn is ready for watering.

17. Deep-soak your lawn. When watering the lawn, do so long enough for the moisture to soak down to the roots. Put an empty tuna can on your lawn - when it's full, you've watered about the right amount.

18. Water during the early parts of the day; avoid watering when it's windy.

19. Water shrubs, flower beds and lawns efficiently with a strategic placement of soaker hoses, rain barrel catchment systems or simple drip-irrigation systems.

20. Plant drought-resistant shrubs and plants. Many beautiful shrubs and plants thrive with far less watering than other species.

21. Put a layer of mulch around trees and plants to slow evaporation of moisture and discourage weed growth.

22. Position your sprinklers so water lands on the lawn or garden, not paved areas.

23. Don't run the hose while washing your car. Use the hose only for rinsing.

24. Use a broom, not a hose, to clean driveways and sidewalks.

25. Check for leaks in exterior pipes, hoses, faucets and couplings.