Whether you like it or not, you’ve got to give this one an “A” for ingenuity in water conservation. It’s a sink that replaces your toilet lid. When the toilet is flushed, clean water from the toilet tank is routed up through the toilet lid sink for hand washing. Then the water is stored in the toilet bowl awaiting the next flush. So, the water is actually used twice.

Although this is not a replacement for your traditional bathroom sink, I think the toilet lid sink is a creative addition to any green bathroom, and a great idea for saving water at home. The sink is made of plastic, it requires no tools for installation, and it has a built-in soap dish. The sink fixture is made of chrome. On a personal note-I’d really like to see this as a stainless steel sink. I found the toilet lid sink at Real Goods for $89.

Here’s a quick fix for conserving water and power in your home: switch to a low-flow shower head. If you’re one who relishes a long, high-pressure shower, the thought of a reduced flow shower head may you a little nervous. Don’t worry! Shower heads, like almost everything else, have come a long way in the last decade. Fans of reduced flow shower heads claim that technology now allows for better showers using less water.

If your bathroom fixtures were installed prior to 1992, you could be sabotaging your green living efforts with very wasteful showers! Before 1992, some shower heads flowed at a whopping rate of 5.5 GPM (gallons per minute). These days, that number is federally regulated to no more than 2.5 GPM with 80 PSI water pressure or 2.2 GPM at 60 PSI (pounds per square Inch). If you have an old shower head, you could save more than HALF your usual shower water consumption just by switching to a newer green shower head. And, you’ll reduce energy use by easing the load on your water heater.

Want to go even greener? If you want to go lower than a 2.2 GPM shower head, try a reduced flow 1.5 GPM shower head or one that uses even less water! I found a 1.0 GPM shower head at The Natural Abode.

Looking for an easy way to conserve water? Consider purchasing or making a rain barrel which installs under a downspout. When it rains, your rain barrel will fill quickly, giving you gallons of free water for watering your garden. Although it’s not recommended for human consumption, rain water provides softer, pure water for lawns, green gardening, and washing the car.

Make your own rain barrel: You can easily up your water conservation efforts by making your own rain barrel. Any watertight container with a lid , such as an outdoor trash can will work. Simply cut a hole in the lid, about the size of your down spout and place the container under the downspout. When you’re ready to use the collected rain water, simply remove the lid and dip out the rainwater with a bucket.

Purchase a rain barrel: If you don’t want to make your own rain barrel for saving water, you can purchase one at many garden centers for around $150. Commercial rain barrels come with a few conveniences such as pre-cut openings for inserting your downspout and open/shut valves for easily dispensing the collected rain water. The rain barrel shown above is available at Clean Air Gardening.

Whether washing your car at home or at the car wash, there’s no quicker way to undo your water conservation efforts. It’s estimated that a single car wash uses up to 140 gallons of water. If you like having a shiny set of wheels, but want to save water, you might want to check out Green Earth waterless car wash.

Designed to clean, polish, and protect your car without using any water, these green cleaning products are also environmentally friendly in other ways. It contains no dyes, is fragrance free, and VOC free. This green household product is also biodegradable. According to So Go Green, you can get 7-10 green car washes from a 16-ounce bottle, but it’s not recommended for heavily-soiled cars with caked on dirt or mud.

Tired of trying to get the kids to remember to shut the water off when brushing their teeth?  This bathroom fixture will do the water conservation for you!  The Delta e-Flow faucet is the first electronic water faucet for home use.  Similar to the motion activated water faucets found in public restrooms, the water conserving bathroom faucet eliminates wasting water because it automatically shuts off when you’re not using it.  In addition to saving water, this automatic Delta water faucet will help reduce the spread of germs in your home by eliminating cross contamination typically associated with water faucet handles.  Sounds like a win-win situation! 

Did you know that washing your dishes with a dishwasher saves more water than doing them by hand? Thank goodness- no hand washing!  If you’re looking for green kitchen appliances, check out the water conserving automatic dishwashers made by Neff, a British company.  The Neff S5409 features a Triple A rating for washing, energy and drying, and the Neff S5409 dishwasher uses only 12 litres of water, only 3.17 gallons per load!  Other features of this green dishwasher include a time delayed start option, multiple drying settings, and an all stainless steel interior.  The energy efficient dishwasher fills with detergent from the top, and it has an automatic sensor for detecting when the dishwasher detergent is low.   Go green and have a great excuse for purchasing a brand new energy efficient dishwasher!

Ask a handful of parents of small children how many times they’ve found a bathroom faucet running full stream with no one in sight, and their answers will probably surprise you. With a 5 year old and a 12 year old, I’m always reminding my kids to conserve water by shutting the faucet off. Here are a few family-friendly ideas for teaching your kids about water conservation. Have a family discussion about the importance of clean water for all of us. Depending on the age of your children, this conversation will range in depth. Be sure to mention the importance of conserving water for both humans and wildlife. Let your kids brainstorm to come up with creative ways to conserve water. Suggest that they turn the water off while brushing their teeth and not fill the bathtub to the very top. Encouraging your kids to come up with their own ideas for saving water will make the process of water conservation much more meaningful to them. Allowing your kids to help in the garden or with your houseplants will also help them to understand the value of conserving water. Seeing firsthand that plants require water to live and that they will wilt without it by helping with the gardening is a good hands-on experience.