Simple steps to cut back on indoor water use

Water providers in California, Texas and other drought-stricken places are encouraging consumers to cut back on indoor consumption — both by changing their behavior and upgrading water-wasting appliances and fixtures.

Doing so can be as simple as unscrewing a faucet aerator and installing a more efficient one for $2 or less. Some water utilities even given them out for free. On the high-end, though, the latest water-sipping clothes washers cost as much as $1,700. Some employ sensors to detect the size of your laundry load and calibrate the precise amount of water needed.

In recent years, drought conditions have plagued places like Atlanta that are accustomed to lots of rain, and that's helped put conservation on the map. "The drought has made our job easier" said Melinda Langston, director of water conservation for Atlanta's department of watershed management. "We have their attention now."

The Environmental Protection Agency, meanwhile, has launched a program for water conservation that's modeled after the EnergyStar program for appliances, light bulbs and numerous other products. Called WaterSense, it helps consumers identify water-saving products for inside and outside the home. So far, the EPA has approved more than 700 faucets and accessories, more than 250 high-efficiency toilets and is working on guidelines for shower heads.

The EPA requires the products to be independently tested to make sure consumers don't end up disappointed. "People won't buy them or use them if they don't work well," says Virginia Lee, the government program's team leader.

Here are some of the best ways to save water inside your home:

TOILETS: When it comes to conserving water indoors, the bathroom is the first place to look.

Replacing older toilets is "the single most effective way to reduce your water use" indoors, says Chris Brown, executive director of the California Urban Water Conservation Council.

Of the nearly 70 gallons of water, per person, that Americans use inside their homes daily, just about 27 percent, or 19 gallons, is flushed away, according to the American Water Works Association. Older toilets are big water hogs, using three, five or even seven gallons of water for every flush. The EPA says 900 billion gallons of water are wasted annually through older toilets.