Water, water, everywhere, / Nor any drop to drink

 ..or so sayeth  Samuel Taylor Coleridge's 1798 poem *The Rime of the Ancient Mariner.

And so live-eth many of us in the Southwest area of the US-particularly if you're along the Colorado River Compact catchment area.  This is already probably more than anyone needs to know (unless you live in this area of the US), and is really just an intro to one of my favorite topics:  Water Usage.  

We are rapidly approaching the time of year where the snowfall in Colorado melts and starts it's annual flow to the South and West along the Colorado River to Hoover Dam and parts further along.  The gotcha this year (like the many years before it) is that snowfall has thufar been at record lows this season, meaning that less water will flow, and everything you can do to save even a few drops of water can add up to a lot of water-and to to a lot of $$ savings.  Ah...now this is starting to make more sense!

Even beyond life in the SW US, I've lived in places where water costs were just so exorbitantly expensive, that every drop added up.  As a result, I've got a pretty long list of some simple things you can do-and  this list is something other than 'turn the tap off when you brush your teeth' (like seriously, if you actually don't turn the tap off, please leave my blog now).  

So, in no particular order, my top four actions you can take starting *today* to reduce your water use-and water bill:

1. Say it with me folks:  If it's yellow, let it mellow.  I think we all know what that means.  ...and I understand that this option isn't for everyone.  So if it's not, action 2 is a great second option!
2. Toilet tank bank (or toilet tummy):  Anything of weight (filled plastic bottle with a screw top to keep it simple or something a bit fancier (https://www.energyearth.com/product/niagara-toilet-tank-bank) that you add to your toilet tank to help it fill up faster.   Most modern toilets are muuuuuch better about the size of the tank these days, so you may need to play around with the weight/water volume of what you put in the tank so that enough water flows to flush properly (and with enough force to not have regular clogs), but this is a great way to save $.  The math on the Energy Earth website for their toilet tank bank is kinda hard to beat. Whether you DIY this or spend the money on a product, this will literally put $$ in your bank account.
3. Low flow shower heads:  Trying to keep it realistic on solutions, I'm not going to suggest turning off the water in the shower except to rinse (though, it's a great idea!...), as a 'next-best' suggestion, you can consider getting a low flow shower head.  These bad boys can save you as much as 30% of water used with each shower-again, something that will pay for itself in no time.  And, while low flow shower heads from 10-15 years ago weren't the nicest of designs, things have changed and chances are good that you'll find a style that works for you (including rainfall low flow shower heads!).  One last note:  If, like me, you have a lot of hair that would take forever to rinse with a super-low flow shower head, there are low*er* flow options you can still consider that will still save you money in the long run.
4. ...and while you're updating your shower head, you can also consider adding a water faucet aerator to your bathroom or kitchen faucets!    These devices can be purchased for less than $3 each, and can easily be swapped in for your current faucet head. 

That's it.  My water saving suggestions. Hope you find one of them helpful-and if you too have any tips to share, please leave it below in the comments!  I'm always looking for ways to save a few drops of water from running down the drain!