Tips to save water

Make sure your sprinkler heads are water thrifty. (Some cities offer rebates on water-efficient replacement heads.) Adjust sprinklers to hit only the lawn, not the sidewalk, the front porch and your neighbor’s front porch.

Use mulch or composting around plants, reducing how much water they need.

Shop around for rain barrels now, so you’re ready when the rain finally hits. Many cities offer discounts.

If you know you want to tear up the lawn but just don’t have a design yet, consider letting it go brown until you make up your mind. (You might want to let your neighbors in on your plans.)

Got ice cubes left over in water glasses after a dinner party? Toss them onto the lawn.

Don’t rinse scraps of food down the sink after dinner. Scrape them into your garbage pail.

Don’t let the water run while you’re shaving.

Aim for a three-minute shower. (Pretend you’re in the military.) Here’s the drill: Get wet. Shampoo. Rinse. Condition. Scrub down. Rinse off. Bonus points if you turn the water off during your shampoo and scrub down.

Position a sturdy plastic bucket or pitcher in your shower to collect the cooler water before it heats up, then use the water to fill a watering can for your potted plants, to clean the shower stall or to fill the toilet tank for flushing.

Price pool covers. The average pool can lose a jaw-dropping 20,000 gallons a year or more to evaporation.