Adding up gallons you can save

(Real Simple) -- Convincing your daughter to cut down on her shower time may not be an option, so use the water-saving guidelines below to see how many gallons you and your family could conserve each year

The task: Turn off the faucet while brushing your teeth.

Why it's worth it: Brushing your teeth seems like a quick job, but before you know it, four gallons of water may have slipped down the sink.

Your one-year effect: 2,880 gallons of water saved.

The effect if everyone in the U.S. did it for one year: More than four times the Mississippi River's annual flow of water.

The task: Bring your water with you.

Why it's worth it: Buying a daily bottle of water may quench your thirst, but it parches the planet. Each one-liter plastic bottle takes seven liters of water to produce. Refilling your own bottle directs the water where it's needed -- into your body.

Your one-year effect: 577 gallons of water saved.

The effect if everyone in the U.S. did it for one year: Equal to the amount of water that would cover Washington, D.C., by 52 feet.

The task:: Eat one more vegetarian meal a week.

Why it's worth it: It takes a lot of water to grow the grain to feed the cow that ultimately produces a hamburger. Replacing just four ounces of beef in your diet a week with a vegetarian option can save more than 3,000 gallons of water.

Your one-year effect: 171,704 gallons of water saved.

The effect if everyone in the U.S. did it for one year: More than twice the volume of water in the Chesapeake Bay.

The task: Buy recycled-paper products.

Why it's worth it: Products made from 100 percent recycled paper require much less water in their manufacturing than do those made from virgin paper. If your family goes through four rolls of paper towels a week, choosing recycled reduces waste significantly.

Your one-year effect: 637 gallons of water saved.

The effect if everyone in the U.S. did it for one year: More than the amount of water that cascades over Niagara Falls in a day.

The task: Install a low-flow showerhead.

Why it's worth it: Low-flow showerheads cut water use in half. If you take a five-minute shower using this type of showerhead, the showerhead would save enough water in a year to fill a 15-foot aboveground pool. Plus, you save all the energy that would have gone into heating the shower water.

Your one-year effect: 4,550 gallons of water saved.

The effect if everyone in the U.S. did it for one year: Enough water to fill about 2,100 Giants Stadiums.

The task: Use a lower setting on your dishwasher.

Why it's worth it: Contrary to popular belief, it's almost never necessary to use the normal setting on a dishwasher or to rinse plates beforehand. The light-wash setting cleans just as well while reducing water use up to 55 percent.

Your one-year effect: 2,860 gallons of water saved.

The effect if everyone in the U.S. did it for one year: Equal to the amount of water that would cover Rhode Island by a foot.

The task:: Water your lawn in the early morning or evening.

Why it's worth it: If you irrigate in the middle of the day, evaporation prevents 14 percent of the water from reaching the plants' roots. Watering the lawn in the early morning or evening can save the typical home owner 87 gallons a week.

Your one-year effect: 4,524 gallons of water saved.

The effect if everyone in the U.S. did it for one year: Equal to nine times the annual rainfall in Seattle.

The task: Water your lawn with a hose, not a sprinkler.

Why it's worth it: The average single-family home pours at least 25,000 gallons of water a year on the lawn -- more than double the amount used inside. People are smarter than automatic sprinklers: Watering with a hose is at least twice as efficient.

Your one-year effect: 12,500 gallons of water saved.

The effect if everyone in the U.S. did it for one year: Equal to the volume of water in Shasta Lake, in northern California.

The task: Install faucet aerators.

Why it's worth it: Faucets account for 15 percent of indoor water use and typically flow at twice the rate they should. Installing aerators in kitchen and bathroom sinks fixes this problem for only a dollar or two per sink.

Your one-year effect:1,000 gallons of water saved.

The effect if everyone in the U.S. did it for one year: Equal to the 10-day water supply for New York City. E-mail to a friend

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