If you've ever lived in a drought affected region then water conservation is a daily habit. It has to be, or sooner rather than later, you'll have no water. Just recently Eastern Australia has been in the grips of a prolonged drought. There are towns where the dams are completely dry; and farmers are doing it tough. If you've wondered why wheat-based products have risen in price in recent years, the drought here, which has caused crop failure after crop failure, is a major part of the reason for it.

Where I live in Sydney we have been on water restrictions for years, and they have increased as the drought has deepened. This hub is based in part on those restrictions as they are an excellent guide for water conservation in the home.

There are a lot of areas where you can reduce water usage, so this hub will be broken up into several sections: inside the home, and outside the home to make it easier to follow.

The first thing you need to do is check all of your faucets. This may seem pretty obvious, but because you look at them every day it's easy to overlook. Check first that you don't have any dripping faucets and feel around the base of the faucet to see if it is overly damp because this could indicate a leak at the base. Also check for hard to open and close faucets as well, because this most probably means the washer is about to fail on them as well.

Change the washers on any faucets that require it (don't forget to include any outside taps in this check). For faucets that are leaking at the base it's best to get a plumber in to fix the problem as they will need to re-plumb the base of the faucet using special tools that you most probably don't have just lying around. You'll be amazed how much water you will save with this one exercise.

Now, onto the specific areas inside the house that use water:

Kitchen:

Only use the dishwasher when you have a full load. If you are washing the dishes by hand, refrain from filling up the sink if you have only half a sink worth of dishes. Don't leave the water running in the sink and walk away from it. This wastes a tremendous amount of water.

Bathroom:

We'll start with the shower and bath: Change your shower-head to a water saving version if you haven't already done so. This will save on water, and as a bonus, save on water heating costs. While you're at it, have a shower rather than a bath. A bath uses up more water than a 15 minute shower. Have a bath only as a treat instead and make an occasion of it. You'll enjoy it more.

When you are brushing your teeth there's no reason to keep the water running. Turn it off until you need to rinse your mouth and the toothbrush. Bring a glass in with you and fill that up with water and use that to rinse out your mouth.

The toilet uses up a lot of water. There are a few things you can do to reduce usage. Consider installing a dual flush system - you can get kits that allow you to adjust existing cisterns without the expense of installing a new one. By doing this, unless you need to do a full flush you only need to empty half the cistern at any one time.

Also, check the toilet while you are there to ensure that there are no leaks. If there are, then get a plumber in to replace any seals that may have worn over time.

Laundry:

Only do a load when you have a full load of washing. Don't be tempted to throw one or two pieces into the washing machine. If you need to get them washed do it by hand.

The washing machine uses a great deal of water, as you've already guessed. The next time you need to replace your washing machine consider finding a machine which does the same job using less water. If you have no idea where to start looking for this kind of information, ask your local water provider if they have a guide that you can use. For the most part, front loading washing machines use less water than their upright counterparts, but it does change from model to model.

The biggest water usage in the yard is, by far, watering the garden and lawn, so we'll start here:

Only water your lawn early in the morning or in the evening. If you water your lawn in the middle of the day then you are losing a larger percentage of the water to evaporation, as the water won't get a chance to soak in before the heat burns it off.

Look at the frequency in which you are watering. If you are doing it every day then you may be overwatering. In most cases you don't need to water every day to keep a lawn green. Every other day is sufficient. You could even go longer.

Look at the plants you have in your garden. Are they the type that need a lot of water? If they are then consider replanting with less water hungry plants, or even better, with plants native to your area. They will need less encouragement to grow because they are suited to local conditions.

While in the garden, mulch your garden beds. This will help them retain water, and you won't need to get out the hose as often. While you're at it, put a soaker hose under the mulch and you won't need to worry about the water penetrating to the garden bed. The bonus with doing this is you won't need to weed your garden bed as often.

Washing the car:

Most people wash their car in the driveway and the water runs off straight into the drain system. Before you start washing your car drive it onto the lawn and wash it there. It will do two jobs at once: you'll have a clean car and a watered lawn. If you're worried about ruining your lawn don't leave the car there when you've finished, and the grass will bounce back from where the car was sitting.

Consider installing a rainwater tank for garden use:

Rainwater tanks aren't just for people living in rural areas. You can install small versions of these tanks and they look good up against a wall with vines covering them if you are so inclined. This water is usually referred to as 'grey water' and should not be used for normal drinking water, unless you have appropriate filtration. Given the amount of water used in the yard this is a great way to save water that would otherwise go straight to the stormwater drains.

There are many small and large ways that water usage can be reduced around the home. Look at your budget to decide which ones are easiest for you to implement, and take into account what your budget will be like after you finish.

It's a good thing to be mindful of the amount of water you use. Despite how it may seem it is not an unlimited resource. Think, also, of the amount of energy required to gather the water and send it, and the waste through water treatment plants and you'll see how a little saving here and there can lead to large savings in other areas. Conservation is a great thing, and as a bonus, it will make it easier on your hip pocket in the long run.