ning the water on. Also, when the water starts to get cooler, don’t drain the tub partway and then turn on the hot water again—get out of the tub. You’ll save 10 to 15 gallons of water a minute if you do.

Don’t wash small loads. If you have a washing machine—or even if you go to the Laundromat—don’t put laundry in unless you can wash a full load. To save even more water, use the shortest cycle. Your clothes will get just as clean, and you’ll save about 1,000 gallons in a month.

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We all use more water than we realize. Every day, without thinking about it, we waste gallons of water—and wind up paying for it in our water bills. If saving water in 2007 is one of your New Years resolutions, you’ve come to the right place. Here are six tips for how to save water in the New Year.

Don’t run the water constantly when washing dishes. Instead, scrub the dishes with a sponge or scrub brush, then turn the water on and rinse. Then shut it off. Kitchen sinks waste upwards of 2 to 3 gallons a minute—and you don’t need that much water to get your dishes clean.

Careful how you wash your produce. To wash fruits and vegetables, fill a bowl half-full and use it to rinse them off. Don’t rinse them under the sink. Anytime you run your tap and most of the water goes down the drain, you’re wasting water and probably could do whatever you’re doing more efficiently without running the water constantly.

Don’t run the water while you’re shaving, brushing your teeth, or washing your hands. The same principles apply here—you don’t need that water on constantly. Do your washing up, and then run the water to rinse. You’re not even using that running water when you’re brushing your teeth—so don’t let it flow down the drain.

Don’t run water to make it cold. Ready for a nice, cold glass of water? Don’t turn your faucet on and then wait for the water to run cold. Instead, keep a pitcher of water in your fridge. That way, your water is always cold and ready to drink—and you don’t waste any water getting it that way.

Take more showers. In most cases, you’ll use less water in a shower than in a bath. Don’t believe it? Next time you take a shower, plug the drain and see how much water accumulates. Usually, it’ll be a lot less than you’d use to fill a bathtub. If it’s equal or more, you should take shorter showers. You can also buy water-saving showerheads.

Plug the drain in your bath. If you must take baths, plug the drain before turning the water on. Also, when the water starts to get cooler, don’t drain the tub partway and then turn on the hot water again—get out of the tub. You’ll save 10 to 15 gallons of water a minute if you do.

Don’t wash small loads. If you have a washing machine—or even if you go to the Laundromat—don’t put laundry in unless you can wash a full load. To save even more water, use the shortest cycle. Your clothes will get just as clean, and you’ll save about 1,000 gallons in a month.

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2 to 3 gallons a minute—and you don’t need that much water to get your dishes clean.

Careful how you wash your produce. To wash fruits and vegetables, fill a bowl half-full and use it to rinse them off. Don’t rinse them under the sink. Anytime you run your tap and most of the water goes down the drain, you’re wasting water and probably could do whatever you’re doing more efficiently without running the water constantly.

Don’t run the water while you’re shaving, brushing your teeth, or washing your hands. The same principles apply here—you don’t need that water on constantly. Do your washing up, and then run the water to rinse. You’re not even using that running water when you’re brushing your teeth—so don’t let it flow down the drain.

Don’t run water to make it cold. Ready for a nice, cold glass of water? Don’t turn your faucet on and then wait for the water to run cold. Instead, keep a pitcher of water in your fridge. That way, your water is always cold and ready to drink—and you don’t waste any water getting it that way.

Take more showers. In most cases, you’ll use less water in a shower than in a bath. Don’t believe it? Next time you take a shower, plug the drain and see how much water accumulates. Usually, it’ll be a lot less than you’d use to fill a bathtub. If it’s equal or more, you should take shorter showers. You can also buy water-saving showerheads.

Plug the drain in your bath. If you must take baths, plug the drain before turning the water on. Also, when the water starts to get cooler, don’t drain the tub partway and then turn on the hot water again—get out of the tub. You’ll save 10 to 15 gallons of water a minute if you do.

Don’t wash small loads. If you have a washing machine—or even if you go to the Laundromat—don’t put laundry in unless you can wash a full load. To save even more water, use the shortest cycle. Your clothes will get just as clean, and you’ll save about 1,000 gallons in a month.

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or washing your hands. The same principles apply here—you don’t need that water on constantly. Do your washing up, and then run the water to rinse. You’re not even using that running water when you’re brushing your teeth—so don’t let it flow down the drain.

Don’t run water to make it cold. Ready for a nice, cold glass of water? Don’t turn your faucet on and then wait for the water to run cold. Instead, keep a pitcher of water in your fridge. That way, your water is always cold and ready to drink—and you don’t waste any water getting it that way.

Take more showers. In most cases, you’ll use less water in a shower than in a bath. Don’t believe it? Next time you take a shower, plug the drain and see how much water accumulates. Usually, it’ll be a lot less than you’d use to fill a bathtub. If it’s equal or more, you should take shorter showers. You can also buy water-saving showerheads.

Plug the drain in your bath. If you must take baths, plug the drain before turning the water on. Also, when the water starts to get cooler, don’t drain the tub partway and then turn on the hot water again—get out of the tub. You’ll save 10 to 15 gallons of water a minute if you do.

Don’t wash small loads. If you have a washing machine—or even if you go to the Laundromat—don’t put laundry in unless you can wash a full load. To save even more water, use the shortest cycle. Your clothes will get just as clean, and you’ll save about 1,000 gallons in a month.

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y to drink—and you don’t waste any water getting it that way.

Take more showers. In most cases, you’ll use less water in a shower than in a bath. Don’t believe it? Next time you take a shower, plug the drain and see how much water accumulates. Usually, it’ll be a lot less than you’d use to fill a bathtub. If it’s equal or more, you should take shorter showers. You can also buy water-saving showerheads.

Plug the drain in your bath. If you must take baths, plug the drain before turning the water on. Also, when the water starts to get cooler, don’t drain the tub partway and then turn on the hot water again—get out of the tub. You’ll save 10 to 15 gallons of water a minute if you do.

Don’t wash small loads. If you have a washing machine—or even if you go to the Laundromat—don’t put laundry in unless you can wash a full load. To save even more water, use the shortest cycle. Your clothes will get just as clean, and you’ll save about 1,000 gallons in a month.

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ning the water on. Also, when the water starts to get cooler, don’t drain the tub partway and then turn on the hot water again—get out of the tub. You’ll save 10 to 15 gallons of water a minute if you do.

Don’t wash small loads. If you have a washing machine—or even if you go to the Laundromat—don’t put laundry in unless you can wash a full load. To save even more water, use the shortest cycle. Your clothes will get just as clean, and you’ll save about 1,000 gallons in a month.

Buy water-saving appliances. You can find water-conserving washing machines, dishwashers, and more at hardware stores—ask the salespeople to show you the most water-efficient machines.

Check for a leaky toilet. Toilet leaks cause a lot of water waste—and most people don’t even realize they have a leaky toilet. To check yours, just put a few drops of food coloring in the tank. If the color shows up in the bowl, your flush valve is leaking. Getting this fixed can save you gallons of water per year.

Your toilet isn’t a wastebasket. Many people throw tissues, dental floss, or other bathroom garbage in the toilet and dispose of it with a flush. Don’t make that mistake. It wastes water needlessly, and your garbage is just as gone if you throw it in the bin.

Water at the right times. Water your outdoor plants before 7 in the morning or after 5 at night. This will keep your water from evaporating under the sun before it soaks into the soil.

Put your sprinklers in the right place. Many people place sprinklers in a place where part of the flow hits a sidewalk or paved driveway. This is a huge waste of water over time. Instead, make sure your sprinkler jets are hitting ground all the way ‘round.

Use a rain barrel. Put a barrel or other watertight container under your gutters to catch rainwater. You can then use this water on your garden and plants without taxing your water bill.

Saving water is a worthy goal for 2007—and once you get into the habit of conserving water, these tasks are surprisingly easy to do. In most cases, people don’t notice that they’re using less water once they’ve gotten into a few simple water-saving habits—until they see the difference in their water bill, that is.