According to the American Water Works Association, almost 15 percent of all the water used in a typical household is wasted through plumbing leaks, leaky faucets and wasted water.
Finding and fixing those problems will save you money on your water and energy bills.
Keep reading for 6 great tips that will help you start saving money on your monthly water bill today.
1.
Install a faucet aerator.
A faucet aerator limits the flow of water through your sink faucet.
Once installed, it can reduce the flow of water to about 2.
2 gallons a minute, saving you a lot of money.
Most aerators simply screw on to the end of your faucet and some offer multiple flow options - allowing you to choose between a steady stream for dishes and a lighter spray for washing hands.
2.
Plug the drain when washing your hands or shaving.
You can save a gallon of hot water by filling the sink with the amount of water you need instead of constantly running the tap.
When you're ready to rinse, simply empty the sink of soapy water and refill it with a bit of warm rinsing water.
Do this every time you wash up and one person could save up to 50 or more gallons every month.
3.
Use the shower, not the bath.
A standard bathtub that's only half-full uses 10 gallons more than the typical 15 gallons used during a 5-minute shower, meaning a family of four that showers instead of bathes can save as much 200 gallons of heated water every week.
That equals big savings.
4.
Take shorter showers.
By that same logic, shorter showers are also going to save you big money.
Every minute you trim from your daily shower time will save you about 3 gallons of water.
5.
Don't heat the water if you're not using it.
If you're going to be out of town for more than a couple of days, either turn your water heater's thermostat all the way down or turn if off completely.
There's no point in wasting energy keeping that water warm if no one's there to benefit from it.
6.
Use a dishwasher.
It's surprising, but dishwashers actually use less water on average than hand washing of dishes, and they also clean the dishes more thoroughly.
An average dishwasher saves about 6 gallons per load compared with hand washing, while an efficient dishwasher can save up to 10 gallons per load.
A little forethought before using water sources can easily save you hundreds of gallons - perhaps thousands - per year.
Finding and fixing those problems will save you money on your water and energy bills.
Keep reading for 6 great tips that will help you start saving money on your monthly water bill today.
1.
Install a faucet aerator.
A faucet aerator limits the flow of water through your sink faucet.
Once installed, it can reduce the flow of water to about 2.
2 gallons a minute, saving you a lot of money.
Most aerators simply screw on to the end of your faucet and some offer multiple flow options - allowing you to choose between a steady stream for dishes and a lighter spray for washing hands.
2.
Plug the drain when washing your hands or shaving.
You can save a gallon of hot water by filling the sink with the amount of water you need instead of constantly running the tap.
When you're ready to rinse, simply empty the sink of soapy water and refill it with a bit of warm rinsing water.
Do this every time you wash up and one person could save up to 50 or more gallons every month.
3.
Use the shower, not the bath.
A standard bathtub that's only half-full uses 10 gallons more than the typical 15 gallons used during a 5-minute shower, meaning a family of four that showers instead of bathes can save as much 200 gallons of heated water every week.
That equals big savings.
4.
Take shorter showers.
By that same logic, shorter showers are also going to save you big money.
Every minute you trim from your daily shower time will save you about 3 gallons of water.
5.
Don't heat the water if you're not using it.
If you're going to be out of town for more than a couple of days, either turn your water heater's thermostat all the way down or turn if off completely.
There's no point in wasting energy keeping that water warm if no one's there to benefit from it.
6.
Use a dishwasher.
It's surprising, but dishwashers actually use less water on average than hand washing of dishes, and they also clean the dishes more thoroughly.
An average dishwasher saves about 6 gallons per load compared with hand washing, while an efficient dishwasher can save up to 10 gallons per load.
A little forethought before using water sources can easily save you hundreds of gallons - perhaps thousands - per year.