• A leaky toilet may go unnoticed, as will the extra cash absorbed by your water bill. To check for leaks, add enough food coloring to your toilet tank to really brighten the water.  After 30 minutes look to see if any of the dye has leaked into the bowl.
• An estimated 30% of household water usage is flushed down the toilet.  If your toilet is more than 30 years old, upgrading to a low-consumption toilet can save you up to 4 gallons a flush.
• Take shorter showers AND get a low flow shower-head.  They are inexpensive to buy but get one that uses less than 2.5 gallons per minute.  You won’t notice the difference in your showering enjoyment, but you will if you have low water pressure- you’ll in fact get a better shower with a low flow shower-head.
• Turn the water off while brushing your teeth or shaving.  You’ll be surprised just how much water can be wasted this way.  Teach your children the same good practices.
• Avoid flushing toilets unnecessarily.  Don’t put anything except toilet waste into the toilet.  Dead spiders, hair balls, cosmetic pads and other trash belong in the garbage can, not the toilet.
• Replace older toilets.  The new water-efficient dual flush systems available now save huge amount of water compared to toilets 10 years or older.
• Attach aerators on all the faucets in your home.  The allow the air to be mixed in with the water so less water comes through the taps.
• To adjust the water temperature, turn down on tap instead of turning up the other because it uses less water and achieves the same result.
• Run your washer or dishwasher when you have full loads OR adjust the water level for smaller loads.  Front-load washers use about a third less water than top loading (and less powder).
• Instead of using water with a kitchen sink disposal unit, start a compost pile in the yard with vegetable and fruit waste.
• Check for leaking taps and pipes outdoors.  If you have a water meter, do a test to check for leaks.  Read your meter the leave for a two hour period when no water is being used.  If the reading is exactly the same you can be assured you are OK.  If not, you have a leak somewhere on your property that needs to be fixed.
• Find leaks and fix them.  Check first for dripping faucets and replace washers where necessary.  Even if the taps are turned off hard, they can still drip and this is a sure sign the washers are going bad.  It sounds amazing but a drip rate of one drop per second wastes 1,000 liters a month (about 3,000 US gallons per year).  Toilets can also leak. It’s easy to check this by putting a few drops of food coloring in the tank.  The color will appear in the bowl after about a half an hour if you have a leak.  So replace worn parts- they’re cheap and the repairs are easily done.
• Water less often but more deeply, and aerate the lawn for more efficient lawn care.  Use drought tolerant grass.
Try to water late or as early as possible to reduce evaporation from your garden, and using a trigger nozzle on the hose will save water.