It's not that fancy Perrier that's coming out of your tap, but when it's time to pay the water bill, it sure seems like it. Conserving water is a good thing, right? Nobody wants to waste water, yet no one wants to change their lifestyle in order to save it either.

Thank goodness there are easy, economical, and simple ways to conserve water. The upside of conserving water is that you save MONEY. What could be better than that?

One easy way to conserve water is to flush less. Not fewer flushes (yuk!) but less water per flush. Too put it simply, install a high performance low flow toilet. Standard toilets use 3.5 to 5 gallons per flush where as the low flow toilets only use 1.6 gallons per flush.

According to research, the average person uses the toilet approximately four to five times a day. Four to Five flushes per person per day means that a low flow toilet has the potential to save a family of four over 14 thousand gallons of water per year. Saving that much water, especially at today's prices, means that a low flow toilet pays for itself within a couple of years.

An additional switch that you can make is to install a low flow showerhead (energy efficient showerhead). A conventional showerhead drops about 4.5 gallons of water per minute where as low flow showerheads only drops about 2.5 gallons of water per minute. With the better showerheads, you won't even be able to tell the difference. A low flow showerhead can save a family of four approximately 20 thousand gallons of water per year. It's not just water that your saving, but HOT water. About 14% to 25% of your home's energy use goes to heat water.

Your toilets and showerheads top the list of simple water conservation methods that save a lot of water. With little effort and money, you can save tons of water and money on your utilities bill.

Here are some additional ways to save money by conserving water:

• When washing dishes by hand, don't let the water run. Fill one sink with soapy water and the other with rinse water.
• Keep a pitcher or jug of water in the refrigerator instead of running the tap.
• Run your washing machine and/or dishwasher only when they are full.
• Check your bill and water meter to track your water usage.
• Don't clean your driveway/sidewalk with a hose. Use a broom instead.
• Do not overwater plants. Better absorbtion happens without overwatering. Only water when necessary.
• In the summer, you should water your lawn once every three days. In the winter, if you water, it should be once every five days.
• Throw those used tissues in the garbage instead of flushing them down the toilet.
• Check all outdoor pipes/faucets/hoses/pools/sprinklers for leaks and repair or replace them.
• Instead of washing your own car at home, use a commercial car wash that recycles water.
• Don't let the water run while shaving, washing up, or brushing your teeth.
• Bathe young children together or share a shower with your significant other.
• When mowing your lawn, adjust the mower to a higher blade setting. This will leave the grass blades a little longer. The long grass blades will hold more water than the short ones.
• Install new water-saving appliances (dishwaher/washing machine).