Child in Africa, collecting water from the only source available.

We should all be aware that water, especially fresh water, has become a precious commodity.  Whether or not we have an adequate supply should make no difference.  We do not know what the future holds, so it is our duty to see that we conserve water, wherever possible.  Consider the following.

If you take a normal-sized  bath, you will be using 30 gallons of water.  If you take a normal-sized shower, you will only use 20 gallons of water. If however, you take a shower by wetting down, then turning off the water, soaping, and then rinsing, you will only use 5 gallons of water.

If you wash your hands under running water, you will use five gallons of water. If you first wash by filling up the basin, you will use 1 gallon of water. If however, you quickly wet your hands, turn of the tap, soap up, and then rinse, you will use only 1/2 gallon of water.

If you brush your teeth under a running tap, you will use five gallons of water. If you only turn on the tap to wet your brush and to rinse, you will use only 1/2 gallon of water.

If you shave with the tap running, you will use 15 gallons of water. If you shave using a basin of water, you will use only 1 gallon of water.

Old-style toilets use 5 gallons of water per flush.  Newer low-flow toilets use only 1.5 to 1.6 gallons of water. If you still have the old style toilet, it would pay you to change it.  Dual flush conversion kits also save water by converting standard toilets to dual flush for under $20.

When watering your garden, you can save water by watering in the early morning or later in the evening, when water will not be wasted through evaporation by the sun’s heat.  When watering a vegetable garden, consider using a soaker hose that rests flat against the soil and lets water pass directly into the soil through a long series of small holes.

Keep a container by your sinks and fill it with the water that might otherwise go down the drain while you wait for it to get hot.  Use this for watering individual plants around the house or in the garden, for washing windows, or other cleaning.

A dripping tap can waste  up to 20 gallons of water per day.