1. Fix the Leak

Leaky faucets that drip one drop per second can waste 2,700 gallons of water a year. A leaky toilet can waste 200 gallons every day. Fix the leak or replace old devices with low-flow faucets and toilets. A low-flow toilet uses less than 1.3 gallons per flush and a family of four can save $1,000 over 10 years.

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What are your tried and true water-saving techniques?

2. Pile in the Laundry

Update the washing machine and use only full loads. The average washing machine uses 41 gallons of water per load. Energy-efficient washing machines use less than 27 gallons per load.

3. Water Wisely

Instead of using municipal water to water the garden, use a rain barrel, cistern or consider a drip irrigation system.

Avoid over-watering the lawn. A lawn needs only one inch of water per week, according to Ken Lagerquist, executive director of the Rhode Island Nursery and Landscape Association.

“Put out a cup. Measure it,” Lagerquist said. “Your lawn won’t die. Even if things were so bad that there was a total water restriction, you don’t have to sneak it because it will always come back in the fall with water.”

Source: EPA Water Sense, Providence Journal research.

FOR MORE INFORMATION and tips on how to conserve water, visit:

University of Rhode Island Cooperative Extension Healthy Landscapes:

This program has advice for homeowners on how to cut back on landscaping water use.

www.uri.edu/ce/healthylandscapes

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Water Sense:

An EPA Web site listing water-saving programs, tips and energy-efficient products.

www.epa.gov/watersense

FOR INFORMATION about the different organizations handling water issues across Rhode Island, visit:

Rhode Island Department of Health:

In charge of monitoring the purity of municipal water.

www.health.state.ri.us

Rhode Island Water Resources Board:

In charge of development, protection, conservation and use of the state’s water resources.

www.wrb.state.ri.us

Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management:

In charge of maintaining the quality of lakes, rivers, streams and other water bodies.

www.dem.ri.gov

Rhode Island Public Utilities Commission:

In charge of regulating water prices.

www.ripuc.org

Providence Water Supply Board:

Water utility company that supplies water to 60 percent of Rhode Island.

www.provwater.com

List of all major Rhode Island water suppliers:

www.wrb.state.ri.us/watersuppliers.htm

Coalition for Water Security:

A group of environmentalists and other nonprofit organizations concerned about water issues.

www.coalitionforwatersecurity.org