With much of the nation experiencing extended drought and dry conditions, it’s important to remember water conservation safety. Water is a precious and limited resource and even making the simplest changes to your daily routines can have a significant impact.

Using water more efficiently will not only save money but, more importantly, will protect the quality of life of current and future generations. With the vastness of our country, it’s sometimes easy to forget how dependent we all are on water in our everyday lives. With increasing impacts of climate change worldwide, water is becoming scarce. In fact, over the period from 2000 through 2020, roughly 20 to 70 percent of the U.S. land area experienced conditions that were at least abnormally dry at any given time.

The extreme heat and dry conditions of the past few years  has also pushed what was already an epic, decades-long drought in the American West into a historic disaster that bears the unmistakable fingerprints of climate change. The long-running drought, which has persisted since 2000, can now be considered the driest 22-year period of the past 1,200 years, according to a study published Monday in the journal Nature Climate Change.

To help you begin making conservation a way of life, here are ten water conservation safety tips from Security Specialists.

1. Turn off the water when shaving or brushing your teeth
2. Fix leaks, including leaky toilets
3. Install high-efficiency toilets, aerators on bathroom faucets, and water-efficient shower heads
4. Take shorter showers
5. Only use dishwashers and washing machines when loads are full
6. Water your lawn sparingly and only when experiencing extended dry conditions
7. Plant drought-tolerant/resistant plants
8. Recycle indoor water to use on plants
9. Don’t water your lawn when it rains
10. Don’t use water to clean driveways, patios, and sidewalks – use a broom or blower instead

Doing these little things can have a big impact on preserving our precious water supply for all!