Americans, on average, each use 100 gallons of water a day. Along with saving water in the bathroom, we can save water washing our clothes, dishes and driveways. Here are some facts about home water usage and suggestions on how to use less.

Efficiency Indoors

• Household leaks waste 10,000 gallons of water a year in the average American home. By fixing leaks and dripping faucets, we can easily reduce the amount of water we waste.
• If every American family just fixed their leaks and dripping faucets, we could save one trillion gallons of water a year - a huge savings for little effort.
• Washing dishes in a full dishwasher uses less water than washing dishes by hand under a running faucet. Also, there’s no need to rinse dishes before placing them in the dishwasher; it simply runs more water down the drain.
• Compared with traditional models, high-efficiency washing machines save up to 14 gallons of water per load.
• Insulate your hot-water pipes. This will keep the water in the pipes warmer for longer, reducing the time it takes for hot water to heat up.
• Reuse your water. A lot of water used in the home, like the water that runs down the drain before the shower heats up, can be used for other purposes, such as watering flowers.
• Compost! Instead of washing leftover broccoli down the garbage disposal, save water and compost those unwanted vegetables.

Responsibility Outdoors

• Short-trimmed grass retains less moisture than long grass. So don’t give your lawn a buzz cut, leave it a little longer; that way, your lawn will require less watering.
• Save 100 gallons of water every time you wash your car by using a hose nozzle or by simply turning off the water while you wash.
• Beware of letting the hose run: it gushes out water at ten gallons a minute.
• Don’t wash the driveway, sweep it. It might require a bit more effort, but it saves gallons of water.
• Take advantage of rainwater. Purchase a cistern and use that water to nourish your lawn and plants.
• Be mindful when watering the lawn; it’s best to water it at dusk and dawn: when it isn’t as hot out and the risk of evaporation is less.
• Water your plants thoroughly but with only moderate frequency. This will help your plants grow roots that reach deep into the soil. Then they will take more water from the earth and need less from you – saving you money, effort and water.

Keeping a blue home is as important as keeping a blue bathroom.

Although fresh, clean water is readily available for use by most of us, many around world suffer with out it. In fact, one in six people in the world don’t have access to safe drinking water. Water is precious to everyone. Let’s take steps to conserve its use in our homes.

Information in this section is taken from the EPA (WaterSense), Popular Mechanics, Green Planet (Discovery Channel) and Water – Use it Wisely.