When you turn on the faucet there seems to be an endless flow of water that people tend to take for granted. In reality, fresh water is a scarce commodity, especially during a drought. We should always be mindful of the amount of water we waste on a regular basis and do more to conserve. Here are just 10 ways you can conserve water in a drought.

1. Don’t water lawns – Everyone loves a lush, green lawn, but we need to realize this should be a low priority when there’s a water shortage. Unfortunately, during a drought, your lawn may have to suffer.
2. Don’t wash cars – A shiny clean car should also be a low priority during drought conditions, but if you absolutely must wash it, do it on the lawn so both can benefit from the same water.
3. Shower less – People get obsessed with taking showers every day whether they really need to or not. Try limiting the number of showers you take, the amount of time you spend in the shower and share a shower when you can.
4. Hand wash dishes – Dishwashers use a lot of water, so hand wash dishes as much as possible during a drought. If you do use the dishwasher, make sure it’s completely full of the dirtiest dishes and hand wash the lightly soiled ones.
5. Less laundry – Another good way to conserve water during a drought is to cut down on laundry. Clothing worn once and not soiled can be worn again without washing. The same goes for bathroom towels that can be hung up or thrown in the drier and used again.
6. Turn off the faucet – Don’t let the faucet run unnecessarily during a drought. Turn it off while you brush your teeth, shaving or doing dishes. Put vegetable food waste in a compost pile instead of running water for the garbage disposal.
7. Keep water in fridge – Instead of running tap water until its cold enough to drink, keep it in the refrigerator. You can refill empty water bottles or use a pitcher to have a constant supply of cold water to drink.
8. Wash produce in a pan – During a drought put fruits and vegetables in a pan to wash instead of rinsing under running water. Then, instead of dumping the dirty water down the sink, use it to water plants.
9. Check for leaks – Gallons of water is wasted by leaky plumbing and faucets. Check your indoor and outdoor faucets plus the rest of your plumbing system for leaks and make repairs as needed.
10. Pee in the shower – Even though this seems gross, peeing in the shower saves on the number of times the toilet gets flushed each day. The urine also helps prevent athlete’s foot and is quickly rinsed away by warm soapy water.

If you think about it, there are lots of ways to reuse water instead of letting it run down the drain. During drought conditions you can develop good water use habits that continue even when the drought is over. These good habits will not only save water, but save you money. Remember that only 3% of the earth’s water supply is fresh water so don’t waste it.

Are you one of those people that has their lawn filled with butterflies, windmills and an assortment of other lawn decorations? If you are, I have a question for you. Isn’t a pain to have to mow and trim the grass around them? I guess I’m just too lazy to deal with putting them out, taking them in and all the maintenance in between. Look through the list and see how many of these common ornaments you have or have had in your yard.

1. Pink Flamingos – These long-legged birds have been adorning lawns for a least half a century. They never seem to go away. But you can find a larger variety to choose from these days.
2. Gnomes – The Travelocity Gnome has made these ceramic figurines very popular. You will find them dressed in your favorite NFL colors, baring their back cheeks and in a variety of other positions and attire.
3. Bathtubs – These are generally the old claw foot tubs. Instead of bath bubbles foaming over the top, petunias are usually peeking over the sides in shades of purple and bright pink.
4. Toilets – What better way to recycle your old toilet bowl than to fill it with potting soil and plant it full of flowers for the summer? In some yards, you’ll see flowers bursting from both the tank and the bowl.
5. Boats – Old boats partially sunk into the ground have been turned into flower beds; another great way to recycle large items that have outworn their initial purpose.
6. Dinosaurs – Metal sculptures of the skeletal remains of prehistoric beasts have been popping up around the countryside. You’re more likely to find these creatures inhabiting rural areas where the lawns are a bit more spacious.
7. Behinds – We have already mentioned the bare backsides of gnomes, but you will also see those of male and female gardeners tending to the flower beds and vegetable patches.
8. Zombies – These gruesome creatures used to be confined to the Halloween holiday décor, but no more. Zombies seem to be popping up their heads in strange places and hanging around in peoples lawns all year long.
9. Christmas Cactus – In you live in the southwest portion of the United States, you may have a cactus or two that you decorate at Christmas, but you’ll plastic versions with flashing lights set up in some of the colder regions as well.
10. Silhouettes – Black silhouettes have become a very common lawn decoration. You’ll find bear cubs climbing trees, a large bull moose lumbering across the yard and variety of other figures that make the passer-by take a second look.

Not everyone drives by your home gets to see your taste in interior décor, but what you put on display on your front or back lawn may give them some idea of what those tastes might be. Perhaps I mentioned something that would be the perfect accent for that bare spot in your yard or to compliment the big spinning sunflowers you already have there to greet us.