When it comes to drinking water, every drop counts. As the population of the Front Range continues to grow, the amount of water available for each person is shrinking. There are many ways you can stop unnecessary flow out of your home. Here are just a few.

Toilets installed before 1992 can use 5-7 gallons per flush. Toilets installed after 1992 are far more efficient, using only 1.6 gallons per flush. Replacing old toilets can result in big water savings.

Your washing machine can also be a big consumer of both water and energy. An older washing machine averages 55 gallons per load! Replace it with a new Energy Star rated washer and you can use up to 50% less water as well as 50% less energy per load.

Every year we divert water from both mountains and aquifers to provide water for our landscape. In fact, over 50 percent of our annual water use is goes to our yards! This strains our resources and impacts areas far from our homes. A well-planned landscape, using plants appropriate to our climate, can both reduce our water consumption, minimize adverse environmental impact, and extend our supply.

Tune up your irrigation system. Fix broken heads. Pay attention to where your water is going. If it’s watering sidewalks and fences, adjust the sprinkler heads. Don’t set the system to water every day. Cutting back to two to three times a week will encourage root growth and increase drought resistance.

Be aware of leaks in your plumbing system. Leaky faucets and toilets and broken sprinkler heads can result in large water bills. The water lost adds up quickly. Stop the flow and you’ll save money and water.