5 easy ways to conserve water at home starting right now

All that water poured down the drain is precious and limited. Around the globe, access to clean water is strained and insufficient for many people and other lifeforms. Here's how to use it sensibly.

• According to West Virginia University, "With current threats to our delicate supplies such as pollution, droughts, water rights, and diminished aquifers, we are forced to reconsider our water use and misuse."
• If you pay a water bill each month, then it's even more precious. Anyone looking to conserve water can find these tips easy to implement, and they can be started immediately.

1. Turn the water off while you brush your teeth. You can use half a cup of water to rinse your mouth with. Each member of the household can have their own cup, and kids can decorate theirs with stickers to encourage water conservation.

2. Take a bath. Not only is it relaxing and luxurious, but you'll know exactly how much water you're using each time.

3. Fill up a mixing bowl or pot with soapy water and another with rinse water — change the rinse water when it gets soapy. Since the bowls are smaller you use less water than if you drain the whole sink several times or run the water the entire time.

4. Only fill the tea kettle up with as much water as you need; less will evaporate and this has the added benefit of saving energy, too. It also saves time, which is helpful when making tea to soothe a stomach ache or get a caffeine boost. For one cup, boil about a cup and a half. For two cups, boil three cups, and so on.

5. Don't flush the toilet during the night, at least, as long as it's just urine. This one keeps the house quieter at night too.

• In case you're wondering why it's beneficial to conserve water around the home, consider the Environmental Protection Agency's statement that "less than 1% of all the water on Earth can be used by people.
• The rest is salt water (the kind you find in the ocean) or is frozen.
• Communities across the country are starting to face challenges in maintaining healthy and affordable water supplies; that's why it's more important than ever to use our water wisely and not waste it.
• In addition, it takes large amounts of energy to produce and transport clean water and to process waste water."