• Repair toilet leaks. You can add food coloring to the toilet tank water, and check the bowl in 15 minutes without flushing. If there is color in the toilet bowl it probably means there is a leak.
• Install ultra-low-flow toilets. Older toilets use between 3.5 – 7 gallons per flush.
• Only use only the water displacement bags on 3.5gpf – 7gpf toilets.
• Use water saved from your shower/bath to flush your toilet: lift the toilet lid and pour the grey water into the bowl until it flushes. Do not pour water into your toilet tank.
• The toilet is not a trash can so do not flush things that can be thrown in a wastebasket.

• Replace older machines with front-load models, which use one-third less water than top-load machines.
• Wait until you have a full load before you wash clothes.
• Wash all your clothes in cold water.

• Limit showers to five minutes or less.
• Get a shower timer.
• Install inexpensive low-flow shower heads on all showers.
• Take “Navy” showers: get wet, turn off the water, soap and
scrub, rinse.
• Encourage your kids to take “Navy” showers, as well! • Don’t shave in the shower – unless you do it during the
“soap and scrub” portion.
• Keep a bucket in your shower to catch water. If you really
want to be thrifty, stopper the tub while you shower and scoop this additional water into the bucket when you’re finished. You can water your plants or flush your toilet with this grey water.

• Plug the sink drain and use only as much water as you need to wash or shave.
• Turn off the water while you brush your teeth or shave.
• Install a low-flow aerator on your faucet. Low-flow faucet
aerators use 1.5 gallons of water per minute; older faucets use between 3 and 7 gallons per minute.

• Install a low-flow aerator on your faucet.
• Keep a bucket in the sink to catch water.
• Hand-wash your dishes. Fill one sink with warm, soapy
water and one with rinse water. When you’re finished, scoop the used water into the bucket, and use it to water plants.
• Don’t use your garbage disposal. Instead, compost your coffee grounds, tea bags, and vegetable peelings. You can use the compost in your garden and on your landscaping when the drought is over.

• If you must use your dishwasher, make sure it is full and choose a short, water-saving cycle if you can.
Leaks
• Check for any plumbing for leaks, and make necessary repairs.