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Don’t leave the water running while rinsing, shaving or brushing teeth.

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If you hear running water in your toilet tank, adjust the leaky float valve or replace the faulty hardware.

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Don’t use your toilet as a wastebasket.

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Install a water-filled plastic jug or a “toilet tank bag” in your toilet to reduce the water used per flush. Don’t use a brick, which may crumble.

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Check for leaks by dropping a small amount of food coloring in the upper tank. If color appears in the bowl, you may have a leak.

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Take shorter showers.

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Install faucet aerators and or water-saving showerheads.

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Eliminate leaks by replacing old gaskets. A dripping faucet can waste 3,600 gallons a year.

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Install faucet aerators.

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Keep a pitcher of cold water in the fridge, instead of running cold water until it is cold.

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Don’t leave water running while washing dishes.

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Don’t use a garbage disposal.

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Only use the dishwasher with full loads, and use the “water-saver” setting, if available.

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Don’t rinse dirty dishes before loading into dishwasher; scrape clean and let the machine do the rest.

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Don’t thaw frozen food under running water.

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Select proper water level for each load of laundry.

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Check for and repair leaky garden taps, hose connections and sprinkler valves.

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Water in the morning or evening, not in the heat of the day, to prevent evaporation.

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Avoid watering on windy days.

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Water slowly, thoroughly, and as infrequently as possible to promote deep roots and healthy plants.

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Hold your garden hose close to the roots of plants so there’s little waste and evaporative loss.

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Add compost and other organic matter to your soil to improve its water holding capacity.

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Choose plants that don’t require a lot of water.

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Mulch all plant beds to reduce evaporation, weeds, and soil temperature.

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Position sprinklers so that they do not water pavement.

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Use rinse water from the house to water plants in or near the house.

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Never let water run unnecessarily.

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Limit car washing. Use a bucket and a hose with spray attachment.

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Don’t use the hose to clean driveways and sidewalks. Sweeping the driveway and sidewalk will get them clean.

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Use shut-off nozzles on hoses to completely turn off when not in use.

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Reuse fish tank water on your household plants. Besides saving water, it provides fertilizer, as well.

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Match fertilizer to the plant requirement and apply the recommended amount.

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The best watering practices moisten the soil 4-6 inches deep; this is the extent of the root zone, and requires only about 1 inch of water. To know when you’ve used 1 inch of water, place a few old cans on your lawn the next time you water. When they fill up 1 inch, you’re done. Check how long that took. The next time you water, turn on sprinklers for that amount of time only.