9. Only use the dishwasher when you have a full load. Use the cycles with the least number of washes and rinses.

10. Avoid running water continuously when washing dishes in the sink. Use both sides of the sink when washing dishes by hand: one to wash, one to rinse.

11. Wash your dishes only once a day.

12. Clean vegetables in a pan of water, not under a running faucet. For added benefits, water your household plants with the water from the pan.

13. Keep a bottle of drinking water in the refrigerator to avoid running the tap to get a glass of cool water.

14. Wash clothes only when you have a full load. Pre-rinse clothes only when absolutely necessary. Set the water control level appropriately, Permanent press cycles may use an extra 10-20 gallons of water.

15. Buy a “suds-saver” washing machine when you replace your present machine.

16. Add your food waste to the compost or trash instead of putting it down the garbage disposal. Disposals not only use a great deal of water, they also can add grease and solids to your already hard-working sewage and septic systems. Grease and solids are particularly hard on septic systems where they can plug soil pores in the drainfield causing system failure which may lead to water pollution.