Here are five tips to help you conserve water in your home.

1. Fix leaks and drips
Research has shown that 8% of all residential water use is wasted through leaks, particularly in toilets. Check to see if you have leaks or drips. First make sure you turn off every water-using item. Then read your water meter. Wait two hours, making sure no water is used during that period. Check your meter again. If the meter does not read exactly the same, you have a leak.

Check your toilet for leaks by adding a few drops of food coloring into the tank. If the toilet is leaking, color will appear in the bowl in about 30 minutes. Often replacing the rubber flapper in the bottom of the tank will fix the leak. Check the toilet for worn out, corroded or bent parts. Most replacement parts are inexpensive and easily installed. Be sure to flush after the test, since food coloring can stain a tank if left in too long. Also be sure to replace or adjust handles that stick allowing the water to run constantly.

Repair a dripping faucet by replacing the washer. A faucet dripping at the rate of one drop per second wastes 2,700 gallons per year.

2. Use water efficient toilets and clothes washers
Toilets and clothes washers are the two devices that use the most water in the home. Replacing older toilets with new ones that use only 1.6 gallons per flush will cut water usage from your toilet by more than 50%. Purchasing a front-loading washer will also save substantial amounts of water and energy too. Check your local utility for information on possible rebates to save you money while you conserve. Also, avoid flushing the toilet unnecessarily. Dispose of tissues and similar waste in the trash.

3. Use low-flow faucet aerators and showerheads
Install a showerhead that flows at 2.0 gallons per minute (gpm).
Retrofit all water wasteful faucets by installing 1.0 gpm bath aerators and 2.0 kitchen aerators.

4. Wash full loads of clothes and dishes
Make sure your clothes washer and dishwasher are full before you turn them on. Usually a dishwasher is more water efficient than hand washing and most new dishwashers don’t require pre-rinsing.

5. Take short showers instead of baths
Showers usually save 40 gallons of water over baths. Shortening your shower by 1 minute could save you up to 1,800 gallons per person per year. And remember to turn the water off while brushing your teeth, shaving, etc.

Click here to go to our Water Conservation Resource Library for links to other sites for more in-depth information and for more great in-home water saving ideas.