Global population growth coupled with a warming planet is putting increasing pressure on water supplies worldwide. As with any resource where demand outstrips supply, water rates are rising and will likely continue to do so. Protect your family from rising water costs by adopting ten easy and low-cost methods to significantly lower your water usage.

Conserve Water While Washing: Fill the sink basin for washing or shaving rather than leaving the faucet running. Avoid letting the faucet run while brushing your teeth. Turn it on only when needed. This alone can save 2-4 gallons of clean water every time.

Save Water In the Kitchen: Wash fruits and vegetables, and rinse dishes in a tub in your sink. Then pour the water you've saved on your plants or in your garden. Don't run water to thaw meat or frozen foods. Plan ahead and defrost food overnight in the refrigerator instead.

Fix faucet and toilet leaks: A leaky faucet can drip 20 gallons a day and a leaky toilet can let two to five times that much get away. Leave an empty glass under a faucet overnight to see if you're letting water and money go down the drain. For toilets, put a couple drops of food coloring in the tank. Wait an hour, and see if any color has leaked into the bowl. If you've got tinted water in the bowl, you've got a leak that needs repair.

Compost instead of using a garbage disposal: Save money and water by easing up usage of your garbage disposal. Whenever we turn on the garbage disposal, water runs down the drain and we use electricity and shorten the life of the disposal. Composting is a much greener option and gives you great fertilizer for your garden.

Use cold water before hot: If you're rinsing dishes or cleaning the sink, using cold water will save the electricity or the fuel that's used to heat your water – unless you get all your hot water from solar.

Run dishwashers and washing machines full: Run your dishwasher only when it's full – no half loads. Many new dishwashing machines are very good at cleaning dishes that have only been scraped, not pre-rinsed; or they include a pre-rinse cycle for heavy cleaning needs. Experiment with different full loads and see what works best for you.

Install low flow shower heads: Change older showerheads to newer low-flow types. Until recently, many showerheads had flow rates of up to 5.5 gallong poer minute. Newer modela give a great shower while using about half the water. For an investment of about $10 or less, you can save $40 to $80 a year on water bills. Look for the solid brass or bronze heads with chrome plating. Skip the plastic ones, as they don't last as long.

Add faucet aerators: Faucet aerators add air to the water stream to provide more rinse-off power with much less water. Most all new faucets today will come with an aerator. But older faucets may not have aerators, or the screens in old aerators may be rusted out. Check our selection of faucet aerators here.

Use smart-timers and drip systems for irrigation: Adding drip irrigation that puts water directly on plants instead of spraying it into the air can cut the water bill and save electricity. Another technology that saves is a Smart Timer. Smart Timers can be set to water in the early morning or late afternoon to avoid water loss from evaporation.

Use refillable water bottles and a home filter: Install a good quality water filter and pick up a refillable water bottle or two. There are a myriad of choices for water filters. Forty percent of all bottled water sold started out as tap water that has just been filtered and bottled. Save money and water by filtering your own!