According to the Environmental Protection Association (EPA), the average American family uses more than 400 gallons per day at home – and 70 percent of that is water used indoors.

Only 1 percent of earth’s water is available for us to use — the rest is either frozen or salt water. As the planet’s population continues to grow, our most precious resource grows scarcer. According to the Environmental Protection Association (EPA), the average American family uses more than 300 gallons per day at home — and 70 percent of that is water used indoors.

Fortunately, there are many things we can do to save water in our homes. Read on for some ways to reduce your water consumption: 

1. Shower instead of bathe
   Every now and then, a bath is a great way to wind down, but taking a shower is a much more environmentally-friendly way to scrub-a-dub-dub. According to the EPA, filling a bath tub can use up to 70 gallons of water, while a shower only takes 10 to 25 gallons.
    
2. Turn off the tap
   Simply turning off the tap while you brush your teeth in the morning and at night can save a whopping 8 gallons of water per day.
    
3. Test for and fix leaks
   Did you know that a simple toilet leak can waste as much as 200 gallons of water per day? That’s equivalent to flushing your toilet 50 times! Testing for a leak is simple. Place a drop of food coloring in the toilet tank. Wait 30 minutes. If the color shows up in the bowl without flushing, then you have a leak!
    
4. Wash wisely
   Ah, the age-old dish debate: hand-washing vs. using a dishwasher. Studies show that today’s dishwashers have grown so energy- and water-efficient that they’ve taken the lead. According to the EPA’s Energy Star Program, a new certified dishwasher uses less than half as much energy as washing dishes by hand AND saves nearly 5,000 gallons of water a year. Another tip: Don’t run half-loads. Doing so can quickly add up to dozens of gallons of wasted water.
    
5. Insulate water pipes     
   Have you ever let the taps run full blast while waiting for warm water to flow? We’ve all been there. Insulating your pipes will allow you to get hot water faster so you can avoid wasting water while it heats up.
    
6. Defrost efficiently
   Try to avoid running water to thaw meat or other frozen foods. Plan ahead to defrost food overnight in the refrigerator or use the defrost setting on your microwave.

Taking steps to conserve water at home is one of the simplest ways to preserve our planet for years to come.

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