Households with more members should be especially mindful of water usage

An optimal time would be around 10 minutes. Some tips to help you use less water during showers are to install a low flow shower head, or listen to music as a way of timing yourself. Or you can simply keep a clock in your bathroom to time yourself. You can also collect water that runs in a pitcher/bucket while you wait for it to heat up, and reuse it for purposes such as watering plants

It's best to avoid taking baths as they can use an average of 35-50 gallons of water. A 10 minute shower on the other hand only uses 25.

Turn off water when you brush your teeth as this wastes 3 gallons per minute. You can also install low flow faucets and fix any leaks.

It's important not to run water while cooking. It's a good idea to install low flow faucets. To try and reduce water usage as much as possible you can wash produce in a bowl instead of using a faucet. You can also defrost food by leaving it in the fridge overnight rather than using water. In addition, avoid pre-rinsing dishes. Keep a pitcher in the kitchen to collect leftover drinking water which you can then use to wash vegetables, boil food, or water plants.

These faucets can significantly reduce water usage. Your water usage can be cut from 3 gallons per minute to 1.5 gallons per minute.

A dishwasher, especially energy efficient ones (4.5 gallons) use much less water than washing by hand (20 gallons). Try not to use the dishwasher until there is a full load. Compost your food waste rather than putting it in the garbage can or garbage disposal.

Only wash clothes that are truly in need of being washed rather than after every wear. Only wash clothes when it makes up a full load in the washing machine. Consider drying your clothes on a clothes line or clothes rack rather than in the dryer to save energy and the water needed to produce electricity.

You should try not to water your lawn too often, but if you do there are some tips to make the most of your water use. You should water your garden/lawn when the sun is lower in the sky (e.g. in the morning or evening/night) to avoid water loss due to evaporation. Also, try to avoid watering when it’s windy. Make sure sprinklers aren't watering sidewalks or driveways which wastes water and can wash pollutants/fertilizers into sewer systems. And don't use sprinklers when it's supposed to rain. You can also consider a smart irrigation system, which can make a big impact.

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If you set it up under a gutter, you can collect up to 4 gallons of water a day. You can use this water to water your lawn or wash your car. You can also make your gutter downspouts and air conditioner drain line point toward a flowerbed, tree base, or other areas in your lawn.

If you have a pool, use a pool cover and keep the temperature cool to prevent water loss due to evaporation. Also, check for leaks often.

0.75 gallons of water are needed to extract, refine, and transport enough gas to drive one mile, so try to drive less. Maintain your car and make sure tires are inflated properly, as this makes it run efficiently, saving gas. Don't let your engine idle. Additionally, it's a good idea to ride a bike, carpool, and use public transportation as much as you can.

A lot of water is used to create electricity provided by power companies. You should try to conserve as much energy as possible. If you reduce your personal water usage, you reduce the energy needed to pump, heat, treat, and transport water. Try to make your house energy efficient or use renewable energy. You can install energy efficient LED lights too. Use hot water only when you need it, as heating water uses a lot of energy. You can also use solar hot water heaters.

A lot of water is used to produce materials we buy. To reduce this virtual water usage buy only what you need, buy used items, repurpose as much as you can, donate as much as you can, and buy reusable materials.

Water is used to produce paper. To use less of it you can print less and use more digital devices, recycle mail once you've read it, make sure to stop getting junk mail, sign up for paperless billing, use your own mug for buying coffee rather than the paper cups, recycle cereal boxes, get a digital newspaper subscription, compost paper towels (or use towels instead), and buy paper products that are made with recycled material.

Producing plastic uses a lot of water and energy, while also polluting bodies of water. Reduce plastic usage  by avoiding drinking bottled water, as more water is used in making the plastic bottle than the amount you're drinking. Use reusable bottles for water and other drinks. Use reusable utensils if you get take out often, to reduce usage of plastic utensils. Use reusable shopping bags. Reuse as much plastic as you can, finding new purposes for them.

Try to use a reusable water bottle.

Try to buy fewer clothes, sell or donate old clothes, and when buying clothes choose clothes made from cotton rather than unnatural fibers like polyester which can release microfibers and microplastics into water supplies.

A lot of water is used to make animal products, so try to eat more vegetables. This is because the food these animals eat require a lot of water to produce (corn/soybeans). 2,500 gallons of water are needed to produce 1 pound of beef. Consider reducing your meat consumption. For example, try to practice Meatless Mondays as a start.  Being vegetarian once a week can make a difference. Buy pasture-raised products because grazing animals require less water for their food. Try to reduce your consumption of animal products like dairy products and eggs. Nut milks also have a high water footprint, while dairy milk has the highest. Soy milk and oat milk are better options.These small changes can make a difference.

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