Sure, 70 percent of the earth's surface is covered in water - but only a small percentage is drinkable. And that supply is drying up as the world's population grows and conditions like drought increase. The average American uses 300 gallons of water each day - for drinking, showering, flushing, and washing - yet 1.2 billion people around the globe don't have access to potable drinking water, let alone enough for their animals and crops, which then reduces their food supply and leads to further malnutrition.

Throwing Money Down the Drain

With on-demand access, you can easily take water availability for granted. Residents in certain parts of the country, however, are familiar with the consequences of drought and make sacrifices to reduce water consumption by foregoing watering their lawns and even being cognizant of too much toilet-flushing.

When it comes to cleaning, water is almost always part of the equation, from the content in cleaning formulas to the buckets of hot water for scrubbing the kitchen floor. Letting the water run - running the hose as you wash your car, keeping the faucet on as you rinse dishes, waiting for the shower water to heat up before you step in - hikes up the water bill as it drains valuable resources.

The bathroom is the home's primary water villain, with the toilet demanding more than a quarter of the monthly water bill and using as much as 8 gallons per flush. The washing machine is the second-biggest guzzler.

Having water available on command comes with an energy cost. That water is pumped into your pipes by means of a system powered by - you guessed it - fossil-fueled electricity. Nearly 5 percent of all electrical energy in the United States goes to moving and treating water, and in some locations, it accounts for more than 50 percent of municipal energy consumption.

Heating up the Debate

If wasting water isn't bad enough, the temperature at which you're wasting it can make things even worse. In fact, you don't even have to turn on the hot water to expend electricity. Working around the clock, your water heater keeps a 40- or 50-gallon tankful at the ready. And when you use it up, it generates a new batch - without being asked. Appliances and fixtures that can get you into further hot water include

• Washing machines: Washing a full load of clothes in an older-model machine can require as much as 40 to 55 gallons  of water. Doing a load in hot water increases energy use by as much as 90 percent, according to Energy Star.
• Dishwashers: Older machines suck up as much as 25 gallons per wash, and extra rinse cycles only increase that amount. The cycle uses the same amount of water and energy whether it's a half or full load.
• Showers: Keeping yourself clean takes energy, too. In many homes, the water heater is located far from the bath plumbing, so the hot water must travel a ways to get to the showerhead. You know what that means: You wait several minutes for it to warm up as water just pours down the drain.

Reducing the Water Pressure

Being clean and green means being conscientious about taxing the water supply - looking for ways to clean with less water. To green up your housekeeping, incorporate the following practices:

• Turn off the tap. You can easily treat the faucet like a fountain while soaping up or rinsing the dishes, washing the car, or brushing your teeth.  ....read more