Check for leaks

Here's an easy way to cut down on water usage. Every time you use the faucet, shower, hose, etc., make sure to turn it off very tightly. Sometimes, even if the water seems to be cut off, there is still a tiny imperceptible drip. These precious drops of water add up to a lot. A slow rate of one drip per three seconds (yes, it is a long time- one...two...three) can lead to over 1000 gallons a year! That's crazy!

American Water Works Association has a fun calculator that will tell you exactly how much water you waste, right here.

Here's another calculator, which takes into account the number of faucets you have in your home. So, the average household has around 2 bathrooms, right? Each one has a sink and a shower/bath. Plus the kitchen sink, and some people also have faucets in a utility room. Oh, and some homes also have a half bath. Let's plug this into the calculator, still using the 1 drop per 3 seconds. Yikes! More than 3,500 gallons!

3,500 gallons, to give you some perspective, is the same size as this guy's pond that he built by hand, according to this Myspace video. Yeah.

So, by turning off all faucets tightly, you can save a pond-full of fishies! Um...no. But, seriously, check your faucets. It shouldn't take more than 5 seconds a day to squeeze them a little tighter.

This lovely image is from the Daily Green.