How are you planning to make a difference in your life or maybe on Earth Day? If you have no idea where to begin conserving, try starting with your water. A few simple changes and additions to your home and the way you live can reduce your water expense and preserve a vital resource. Below are some water saving tips that can help you begin to live a water-efficient lifestyle. 

Harvesting rain is a way to capture raindrops for other uses, and rain barrels can easily be installed on the sides of your house. The rain from the roof or the gutters can be used to water plants or hydrate your garden. More expensive rain barrels can even filter the water and make it drinkable, so this might be feasible if you don’t own a well but receive an abundant amount of rain year round. 

Another option is to implement some ground rules for your backyard pool this summer. For example, limit your family and friends’ diving, splashing and water fights. Also, reduce the temperature and keep a pool cover on when it’s not in use. Simple rules such as manually cleaning your filter and maintaining proper chemicals in your pool can eliminate your need to refill. 

Do you know how to read your water meter? Better yet, do you even know where it’s located on your home? If you answered ‘no’ to both of these questions, you could be wasting water every day without even knowing it. Learning how to read your meter can enable you to determine if there are any leaks as well as how much water you use. First, find out what type of meter you have (straight-reading meter or round-reading meter) then watch for abnormal activity when water isn’t in use. 

There are numerous ways to conserve water and all will have a positive impact on the environment. For more ways to be eco-friendly, check out the Green Tips on AboutMyPlanet.com (AMP). Or if you have an environmental question you’re dying to ask, post it on AMP’s new Green QuestionVille and receive several helpful answers from the site’s eco-conscious community. Be sure to share your green expertise with others by commenting and answering some questions too. 

This is a guest post by Marina Hanes an environmental writer for AMP Blogs Network (www.ampblogs.com)