A simple way to save water every day is to shut off the faucet when brushing your teeth. Each brushing session can waste two gallons of water. Instead, wet your toothbrush, brush your teeth, and then turn the water on again to rinse.

Don’t believe the myth that you can wash grease down the drain with lots of soap and water! It’s a waste of water, and does not dissolve grease. Avoid clogged pipes by disposing of cooled fats, oils, or grease in the trash can, not down the drain.
Grease recycling (drop-off sites)

The toilet isn’t a wastebasket or ashtray. Avoid flushing items down the toilet that belong in the trash can such as used tissues, dead bugs, or cigarette butts. This is a good tip to share with children who may flush all sorts of inappropriate items, which wastes water and risks clogging your sewer lines.

Check clothes carefully before washing. Pretreat stains to reduce the need for rewashing laundry. Most washing machine manuals include a list of tips for treating various types of stains. There are commercial stain removal products available, plus home remedies such as hydrogen peroxide or club soda.

If your showerhead is leaking, check to see if it is screwed on tightly. Then check the washer for wear. If necessary, buy a new washer or showerhead. Replacing a showerhead is a relatively simple do-it-yourself task using common household tools and joint sealer.
How to replace a showerhead

Next time you dine out, say “no” to complimentary water if you don’t plan to drink it. Many restaurants serve water to all diners, even if they order additional beverages. If you don’t need a water glass, let your server know so it won’t go to waste.

Ever wonder how much water you use? The average American uses about 80 to 100 gallons of water per day at home. The highest household use is in the bathroom for toilet flushing, showers and baths. Calculate your family’s daily water usage with the Water Conservation Calculator, and find out where you can save water.

Turn off all faucets and water-using appliances, and make sure that no family members use water during the testing period. Wait for the water heater, ice cube maker and water softener to refill. Go to your water meter and record the current reading. Wait 30 minutes. Read the meter again. If the reading has changed, you may have a leak.

Many of us use multiple drinking glasses—often scattered throughout the house—over the course of one day. Cut down on dishwashing by designating one glass for your drinking water each day or using a refillable water bottle. For children, buy a glass in their favorite color or use colored rubber bands to mark the glass.

Children can play an important role in helping the family save water. Encourage your children to turn off faucets after each use, report leaks, take shorter showers, throw trash in the wastebasket instead of the toilet, and not let water run unnecessarily.

Washing dishes by hand can waste time and money. Over the course of one year, a dishwasher with an Energy Star rating can save up to 5,000 gallons of water, plus $40 in energy costs and about 230 hours of your time versus hand washing.

Save up to 250 gallons of water per month by rinsing fruit and vegetables in a bowl of water instead of under running water. Use a vegetable brush for scrubbing items such as potatoes. If necessary, finish with a quick squirt of running water to remove loose debris.

Run the clothes washer only when you have a full load. Washers use from 10 to 40 gallons of water per load depending on age and design. You can save water and energy by reducing the overall number of loads. If you must wash just one pair of jeans, match the machine’s water level setting to the load size.

Remind your family members (especially teenagers) to take short showers by installing a timer. Inexpensive timers with a digital display or hourglass design that attach with suction cups are available. More expensive mechanical timers attach to the showerhead, and slow down (or turn off) the flow of water after a set period of time.

A leaky toilet can waste up to 100 gallons of water per day. Find leaks fast by adding dye tablets or a few drops of food coloring to the toilet tank. If the toilet is leaking, you will see color appear in the bowl within 15 minutes. Flush as soon as the test is complete.
Toilet repair tips

Next time you clean a fish tank, pour the old water on a plant. The nutrients in the dirty water make it a good (free) fertilizer. Other sources of leftover water to pour on plants are a dog’s water bowl, tea kettle, or melted ice cubes. You can also keep a jug by the kitchen sink to collect water while waiting for it to heat up.

Take a shower instead of a bath. A full bathtub can use up to 70 gallons of water while a 5-minute shower uses only 10 to 25 gallons of water. To test this tip, put the plug in the tub next time you take a shower and see how much the tub fills up. If there is less water than you’d normally use in a bath, then a shower is your best option for conserving water.

Don’t use running water to thaw frozen food. Instead, defrost your food using the refrigerator or microwave. Frozen food should never be thawed on the kitchen counter since this can lead to bacteria growth or illness.

Save water by plugging the drain immediately and then adjusting the water temperature as the tub fills. Remember to only use as much water as necessary. Small children require less water than adults, and several children can often be bathed at the same time.

When washing dishes by hand, don’t let the water run continuously. If you have two sinks, fill one with soapy water and one with rinse water. If you have one sink, gather the washed dishes in a dish rack until you are done, then rinse them with a spray device or a pan of hot water.

A garbage disposal requires a lot of water to operate properly. Use a disposal only when necessary. Save water (and avoid clogged pipes) by scraping food scraps into your compost bin or garbage can, rather than rinsing them into your sink’s garbage disposal.

The average American family washes 400 loads of laundry each year. If your washer is over ten years old, you could save more than $135 per year on your utility bills with an Energy Star® certified washer. New technology includes more efficient motors, faster spin speeds, and high-pressure spray devices.
More info (Energy Star)

Did you know the average American flushes the toilet over 140,000 times in a lifetime? Save money and water by replacing your high-flow toilet with a low-flow model.

Save the water left over in the pot after cooking vegetables, and reuse it as stock to make your soups more flavorful and nutritious. Keep a plastic storage container in your freezer, and pull it out each time you have leftover cooking water to add. When it’s time to prepare soup, simply defrost the frozen cooking water.

Check your flapper.
Examine the rubber flapper in your toilet tank to see if it’s worn or corroded. A leaky flapper can cost you hundreds of dollars a year in wasted water. A new flapper costs from $2-$10. For instructions on checking and replacing a flapper, visit www.ToiletFlapper.org.

To save water onboard ships, Navy seamen developed a technique for taking very short showers. The procedure is to get wet, turn off the shower, soap up and scrub, and then turn the water on just long enough to rinse off. This quick shower uses as little as three gallons of water.

Did you know that 50% of all households have a plumbing leak? Even a small faucet leak can waste more than 300 gallons of water a month. Learn how to detect – and fix – household water leaks easily with our Leak Detector Guide.

Run your dishwasher only with a full load. Place dirtier dishes toward the center facing the spray, and keep large items at the sides so they don’t block the water.

Save water, soap, and blades by using an electric razor. If you prefer wet shaving, use a hand razor with replaceable blades instead of a disposable one. Also, fill the basin with water, and turn off the tap while shaving.

Tired of waiting for tap water to run cold? Save water and energy by keeping chilled drinking water in the refrigerator. Keep your refrigerator stocked with a pitcher of cold water for use at home, plus several reusable bottles for on-the-go.

Don’t wait for an emergency to locate your master water shut-off valve. In case of a pipe break, you will save water and prevent damage if you can quickly find the main valve to turn off the water supply to your home. Likely locations are where the water supply pipe enters the home, near a water heater or next to a clothes washer hook-up. Once you locate the valve, mark it with something distinctive such as a tag.

Cut water use by replacing old faucets with new low-flow fixtures. For a bathroom faucet, 1.5 gallons-per-minute flow should be sufficient. For a kitchen faucet, you may want to select a 2.5 gallons-per-minute flow model to wash dishes. If replacement isn’t possible, add screw-on aerators to your faucet heads.

Save water by soaking dirty dishes instead of letting the water run while you scrub them. Fill pots and pans with hot water and dish soap, then allow them to soak (preferably overnight), and you’ll have an easy cleanup job in the morning.

Next time you stay at a hotel, ask if they save water by allowing guests to reuse sheets and towels instead of washing them every day. For example, some hotels skip daily linen service unless you place a “Please change the linens today” card on your pillow. You can do the same thing at home by using sheets and towels multiple times (as appropriate) before washing.
 "Water Champ" Hotels 

Keep a sharp eye on your water bill. If you have an unusually high bill, you may have a leak. The new Pinellas County Utilities My eAccount service makes it easy to compare a current bill with previous ones by providing detailed graphs of your home’s water consumption and historical billing charges.
 High Bill Check Sheet 

Inspect faucets (inside and out) for worn-out washers or loose hose connections which can lead to leaks. Leaky faucets often may be fixed by replacing the washer or repacking the faucet stem. If preferred, a plumber can make repairs, or the faucet may be replaced.
 Faucet repair 

Keep your showers to five minutes or less (really!). By taking short showers and installing low-flow showerheads, you can save water and money.

Today’s dishwashers are very efficient, and it’s usually not necessary to rinse dishes before loading them. Scraping the food off with a spatula or sponge should be sufficient. If you must rinse, use cold (not hot) water.
 more tips (Dept. of Energy)

Adjust lawn watering according to the weather. For example, skip your regular watering day following a heavy rain. Teach your family members how to turn off the automatic sprinkler system in case a storm comes during the watering cycle.

A soft, wet spot on your lawn could signal trouble. A soft area near an in-ground sprinkler can indicate a sprinkler leak. Another possible problem is a leak in the underground water line to your house, particularly if you hear the sound of running water outside your home. Contact a plumber if repairs are needed.

Next time you need to add or replace a plant in your yard, select a low-water usage plant. Just as you scan a food label for calories, you can check plant pot labels to identify a flower or shrub that is drought tolerant.
Drought-tolerant plants (Univ. of Florida)

Claim your home turf.
When installing new sod, select the right type for your site. Bahia grass is low-maintenance and works well for yards without an irrigation system. St. Augustine grass is the most common grass used in Florida, performing well in a variety of soils, but you need to select the correct variety. For example, St. Augustine grass Bitterblue is for shady areas and Floratam is for sunny areas.
Lawn grasses (Extension)

Use the right type of sprinkler head for each area you are irrigating. For example, don’t mix spray and rotor heads within the same watering zone since spray heads release water more rapidly than rotor heads. Try to keep water flow rates consistent throughout each zone to ensure even distribution to your plants.

Lawns need less water in the cooler months. During the months of December, January, and February, the Southwest Florida Water Management District recommends watering every 10 to 14 days. Skipping a week saves water and makes your lawn healthier by discouraging pests and disease.

Water only when necessary. Use visual clues to determine when your grass needs watering, such as: 1) When you walk on the lawn, footprints appear briefly because the bent blades don’t spring back for several minutes, 2) grass blades appear blue-gray in color, or 3) grass blades are folded in half lengthwise on at least one-third of your lawn.

Florida law requires rain shutoff devices on all automatic sprinkler systems installed since 1991. Be sure that your sprinkler system has a working rain shutoff device, and check it regularly. Locate the sensor so that it is exposed to the same rain conditions as the rest of your lawn. Keep it away from any overhead obstructions such as a roof overhang.
 Rain shutoff device tips 

To measure your sprinkler’s flow rate, place empty shallow cans (such as tuna cans) around your yard, run the sprinkler for 15 minutes, and measure the water collected. Generally, one-half to three-quarters of an inch of water per application is enough to replenish the grass. Water as needed, approximately twice a week during hot periods and every 10-14 days in cool weather.
 Calibrate your sprinkler brochure

Mulch makes your garden look attractive, but it also cuts down on your watering and weeding chores. Mulch blocks evaporation so you don’t need to water as often. Use 2-3 inches of wood chips, leaves, grass clippings, or free recycled mulch. Remember to keep mulch away from the base of each plant.
 more info (Univ. of Florida)

Don’t spray your money away by watering the sidewalk, street or driveway. Position your sprinklers so that the water lands on your lawn or shrubs, not on paved areas. Recheck the spray pattern regularly, and adjust sprinkler heads as needed.

Use a shutoff nozzle on your hose so you can turn the water on and off as needed, and select the type of spray you want. Without a nozzle, your garden hose can pour out over 500 gallons of water in an hour.

Avoid cutting your grass too short by raising the lawn mower blade to the highest setting. This helps grass retain moisture and grow deeper roots.

Lawns need less water in the cooler months. During the months of December, January, and February, the Southwest Florida Water Management District recommends watering every 10 to 14 days. Skipping a week saves water and makes your lawn healthier by discouraging pests and disease.

Use a cover to reduce evaporation when your swimming pool is not being used. Covers also save energy if you’re heating the pool during cool weather. Check with your local swimming pool supply store to find the right cover or blanket for your pool.

Inspect your sprinklers.
Check your in-ground sprinkler systems and timing devices regularly to ensure they are operating properly. Inspection is critical for an effective, efficient irrigation system. For example, do a careful visual inspection of sprinkler heads and pipes to check for leaks, damage, or faulty spray patterns.
 More info 

Save water by installing a drip irrigation system for outdoor plants. Drip irrigation applies a slow, steady supply of water by means of plastic tubing on or below the ground. Widely available, drip irrigation systems apply water directly to the plant’s roots which reduces evaporation, runoff, weeds, and diseases.
Micro-Irrigation Guide (74-pg. pdf) 

Use a broom to clean off your driveway, sidewalks, or steps. It may be tempting to use the hose to spray off leaves or debris, but using a broom saves water and burns calories.

Take advantage of our Florida rains (and save on your water bill) by collecting rain water from your roof into barrels that can then be used to irrigate your plants.
 More info 

When your dog needs a bath, make the water do double duty. Bathe your dog outside on the grass in a dry area of the lawn that needs water. Be sure to use a hose nozzle so you can turn the water on and off. Another option is to wash your dog in the water your children just bathed in.

Autumn is a perfect time for installing new plants in central Florida. The scorching days of summer are over, giving plants a better chance of becoming established in the cool weather. Many plants, such as vegetables and annual flowers, require less water and flourish better in the fall and winter than in the hot summertime months.

Save water by going to a commercial car wash that recycles its water. If you wash your own car—park it on the grass, use a bucket of soapy water, and a hose with a shutoff nozzle.

Conserve water by “hydrozoning” or grouping plants according to their watering needs. Place water-loving plants in a separate area from plants that require less frequent irrigation. Also, place high-maintenance plants close to a convenient water source, such as locating potted flowers next to a hose reel or rain barrel.

Select Florida-friendly, drought-tolerant plants that require less maintenance. You’ll save money with the decreased need for water, fertilizer, and herbicides. An added bonus is that many Florida-friendly plants attract butterflies or birds.
 landscaping for wildlife

Schedule your watering for the early morning hours to reduce the amount of water lost to evaporation. During the heat of the day, evaporation loss can be up to 60 percent higher than in the cool morning time. Early watering allows more water to reach the plant’s root zones.

Train your plants and grass to grow deep, healthy roots by soaking the soil thoroughly. Shallow frequent sprinklings of water don’t satisfy the needs of a Florida plant growing in hot, dry soil. Deep watering encourages plants to be more drought tolerant. Generally one-half to three-fourths of an inch of water is sufficient to wet the root zone.

Consider replacing some of your grass with ground covers that require little or no water, fertilizer, or pesticides. For example, liriope works well in shady areas where turfgrass grows poorly. Other ground covers such as beach sunflower are salt tolerant. Additional low-maintenance options are ornamental peanut and dwarf jasmine.

Avoid overwatering your lawn. Most of the year, Florida lawns need only about one inch of water per week. Overwatering can damage your lawn by promoting shallow root systems, dollarweed, chinch bugs or excessive thatch.
 Healthy Lawn brochure