Let me start with a few salient water facts that highlight just how important the issue of water conservation is.

• 884 million people in the world (1 in 8) lack access to safe water supplies.
• 3.5 million people die each year from water-related diseases.
• Every 20 seconds a child dies from a water related disease.
• 66% of the world's water supplies are spent on irrigation for food production.
• Less than 1% of the world's fresh water supply is readily accessible for direct human use.

Now consider these facts about water consumption:

• An American taking a 5 minute shower uses more fresh water than a poor person living in a developing country uses in an entire day.
• Poor people living in slums often pay 5-10 times more for clean water than wealthy people living in the same city.

Now the key point: To survive the daily requirement of water needed for sanitation, bathing, drinking and cooking is 13.2 gallons per person. The average family in the USA uses 260 gallons of water. The average family size in the USA is 3.14. That means the average American consumes 82.8 gallons a day. And that is just at home!

The hotter equatorial countries are already classified as 'water stressed', meaning they have water shortages. Combine this with an estimated increase in the world's population of 40% to 50% in the next 50 years and you can begin to grasp the urgency of the situation. This is why Green Interior Design and LEED metrics place particular emphasis on the reduction of water use and recycling of water. Here are a few ideas on how to make your house more environmentally friendly and how to conserve water.

1. Check faucets and pipes for leaks.

A drip from a faucet with a worn washer can waste 20 gallons a day.

2.Don't use a toilet as an ashtray or waste disposal unit.

Every time you flush the toilet to dispose of a cigarette butt or facial tissue or other garbage you waste 5 to 7 gallons of water.

3.Check your toilets for leaks.

Put a few drops of food coloring in your toilet tank. If the coloring appears in your toilet bowl without flushing you have a leak. Most toilets can repaired simply by installing inexpensive new parts.

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