The average home uses nearly 11 gallons of water a day from faucets alone, accounting for 15.7% of the total indoor water usage. Daily activities such as shaving, brushing teeth, styling hair and hashing hands all contribute to this number, most of which we do without thinking.

Most people are aware that they can save water by turning the tap off when brushing their teeth or shaving, as much as 3,000 gallons a year. But not all are aware of products designed to save water when the tap is turned on.

High-efficiency faucets in the bathroom or a faucet aerator can reduce water flow by as much as 30% without significantly reducing performance. The result is an annual water savings of up to 30,000 gallons. If every one of the 222 million bathrooms in the United States was retrofitted with an efficient faucet aerator, the result would be a saving of over 60 billion gallons of water. If all faucets in the home were retrofitted with aerators, the savings would be more than 300 billion gallons of water, translating into $2 billion annually. Installing a new water aerator is quick, easy and very inexpensive, literally costing just dollars. In fact, they are so inexpensive; not replacing an older aerator is actually costing you more money.

Faucet leaks are a common problem in many households. Aside from the annoying “drip, drip,” leaks are extremely costly, especially considering they can be avoided. On average, the average household loses 13.7% of its indoor water usage due to leaks alone. That is more than the average home uses to take a bath or run the dishwasher, and is almost as much as either the shower or faucets use respectively.

Leaky faucets should be repaired or replaced as soon as possible. They are costing you water and money, and more than you likely realize. If you have a faucet that drips once every minute, that amounts to 54.75 gallons of water wasted annually. While these types of drips are not a cause for alarm, more regular drips certainly are. 1 drip per second can lead to an annual waste of over 5000 gallons of water.

For more information on ways to save water, please see the faucet tips below.