Finding ways to save water can be a great resolution heading into the new year. Conserving the amount of water that you use in your home can help you lower your water bill and reduce your environmental impact on the planet. Here are some of the best ways to conserve water.

Switch to Water-Efficient Faucets and Appliances

Many modern water faucets and household appliances have been designed to reduce water usage while still providing an adequate water supply. Water-efficient showerheads can replace your existing showerheads and emit water that’s more soothing on the skin. Washing machines for clothes and dishes that save water can also be found. It’s even possible to find water-efficient toilets that don’t use as much water each time that they’re flushed.

Install a Rainwater Harvesting System

Instead of always having to get your water from an offsite source, you can use the rainwater that falls from the sky with a rainwater harvesting system. With your own supply of rainwater, you’ll be able to do much of your cleaning and other housework without having to turn on a faucet. Rainwater can also be great as drinking water if it’s purified first. You can also put a large barrel so that water can empty into it through the downspout of your gutters and used for a variety of purposes.

Treat More of Your Wastewater

Water that’s contaminated can often be treated so that it’s usable again. You can get a home wastewater treatment system that purifies your water more efficiently to reduce the amount of water that’s wasted. Treating wastewater thoroughly can also reduce the amount of diseases that are often transmitted through drinking contaminated water or using it for gardening or cleaning purposes.

Reuse Cooking Water

The water that you use to boil pasta and prepare other foods doesn’t have to be discarded. You can instead use leftover cooking water to water plants and flowers that are inside your home and garden. Cooking water can also be saved to use later for preparing soup broths. Many vegetables can be cooked with reused cooking water. If you’re worried about bacteria and other germs that might accumulate in old cooking water, you can rest assured that they will be killed when you boil the water.

Saving water is one of the simplest resolutions to make for the new year and can mean a huge difference for the functioning of your home and planet. Even just a few simple changes can help you reduce your water usage drastically.