-

 Check toilets for leaks. Put a little of food coloring in your toilet tank. If, without flushing, the color begins to appear in the bowl, you have a leak that should be repaired immediately. Even a small leak can waste hundreds of gallons a month.

-

 Stop using the toilet as an ashtray or wastebasket. Every time you flush a cigarette butt, facial tissue, or other small bit of trash, you waste five to seven gallons of water. 

-

 Check faucets and pipes for leaks. Even the smallest drip from a worn washer can waste 20 or more gallons a day. Longer leaks can waste hundreds.

-

 Take shorter showers. Save up to 5-10 gallons for every minute you cut back. 

-

 Turn off the water after you wet your toothbrush. 

-

 Rinse your razor in the sink. 

-

 Wash full loads in your dishwasher and washing machine. 

-

 Use a broom instead of a hose to clean sidewalks and driveways. 

-

 Wash your car or house windows with a bucket of soapy water, and only use the hose for a quick rinse. 

-

  Water the lawn in the early morning or evening hours every other day. 

-

 Plant drought resistant plants and shrubs. 

-

 Put a layer of mulch around trees and plants to retain moisture. 

-

 Use a timer to remember to turn off sprinklers. No more than 5 minutes per zone. 

-

 Adjust sprinklers to water the lawn not the pavement. 

Did you know?

Based on National Averages for a typical single-family household of 4 persons (California Department of Resources):

-

 Lawn watering accounts for nearly half of the water used by most homes 

-

 Residential landscapes are over watered as much as 20 to 40 Percent

-

 The toilet consumes 25% of all water used by the homeowner

-

 A small faucet leak (80 drips per minute) wastes 7 gallons of water per day

-

 An automatic clothes washer uses 30-35 gallons of water for each cycle

-

 A shower uses up to 8 gallons per minute

-

 A bathtub uses 25 to 30 gallons

-

 A dishwasher uses 10 to 20 gallons per load

-

 A toilet uses up to 6 gallons per flush

-

 Kitchen and Bathroom faucets use up to 5 gallons per minute

-

 A ½” garden hose uses up to 500 gallons per hour