How to save water using water recirculating pumps, low-flush toilets, and low-flow showerheads

1 -- Dual-flush Toilets

Sometimes you do a big job... and sometimes you don't. Most of the time you don't need a major flush. Dual-flush toilets let you choose whether to use a normal flush (1.6 gallons) or a super-low flush (0.8 gallons).

2 -- Low-flow Faucets and Showerheads

This is a simple (and inexpensive) home improvement that will significantly reduce your home's water use. Low-flow kitchen and bathroom faucets use 2.5 gallons per minute (as compared to normal faucets, which waste 5 gpm). When shopping for a showerhead, find one that uses no more than 2.5 gpm--these can save you 20-25 gallons of water per shower.

3 -- Hot Water Recirculating Pumps

You know that minute's worth of water that goes down the drain while you wait for the shower to heat up? By installing a recirculating pump (a device that cycles hot water through the plumbing lines at certain programmed times of day), you can have instant hot water.

4 -- Water-efficient Appliances

If you've been meaning to replace that leaking washer and that noisy dishwasher anyway, this can be the perfect excuse. Today's appliances are likely to be more efficient than their predecessors, but make sure you look further than the Energy Star label (sometimes energy-efficient appliances aren't all that water efficient; comparison shop to figure out which ones use the least water).