Strategies on how to conserve water in your household

There are a couple ways in which we can take efforts to conserve the precious resource of water in our homes. First of all, we can monitor how much water we use in a day by keeping track of how long we take showers, if we leave water running in the sink, how often we flush toilets, or the amount of dishwashing or laundry we do. Understanding when we are using water is the first step as it will help us recognize when we are using what many of us take for granted. There are water saving shower heads, updated toilet pumps that require less water when flushing, conservative washing machines and dishwashers, and water-saving taps. However, there are ways aside from replacing appliances. One very effective method is just to increase how conscious you are of when and how much water you use. Setting limits to how long you take showers, or how you wash dishes (for example a basin in a sink that you fill once for all your dishes uses much less water than a dishwasher), can be effective. Notice when you brush your teeth if you leave the water on the tap running. When you water plants do you spray them directly with a hose, or fill a container to water them with a regulated amount of water? Do you have a sprinkler system that could be managed more efficiently? 

In other words, figure out your biggest water-wasters, and try not to take that water for granted.