We Asked Experts For the Easiest Ways to Shrink Your Home Water Usage

A home with a brown lawn sits next to a home with a green lawn on July 24, 2026 in Denver, Colorado.

Amid Colorado's historic drought and record low snowpack, Denver residents have been restricted to watering lawns twice a week.

While some residents are complying, more than 4,000 people have reported neighbors for violating the restrictions. —(Photo by Michael Ciaglo/Getty Images) For many Americans, accessing fresh, clean water is as simple as turning a tap.

But amid a growing water crisis in the West , and periodic droughts in other parts of the country, constant water access is not a given .

“it's a resource that, in this case, can quite literally run dry,” says John Atkinson, an associate professor of environmental engineering at the University of Buffalo.

Earlier this month, federal officials announced sharp cuts in how much water Arizona, California and Nevada would be allowed to take from the Colorado River over the next two years as the water levels for the nation's two largest reservoirs reach record lows.

Under the Bureau of Reclamation’s new plan , the three states will have to collectively reduce water use by 1.25 million acre-feet annually over the next two years—or potentially face larger cuts.

The average American uses roughly 82 gallons of water a day at home, according to the EPA .

Much of that water use is the result of habits that most people rarely give a second thought— like leaving the sink running while washing dishes or setting up an automatic sprinkler system to maintain a green yard.

Experts in water sustainability say that there are small steps they take at home to help them save water.

Qizhong George Guo, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at Rutgers University, notes that there are plenty of small habits that can add up to significant drops in water usage.

Only run the dishwasher or washing machine when you have full ones.

If you’re washing dishes by hand, be mindful to not leave the tap running when it's not in use.

Soak pans before cleaning them, and turn off the faucet when scrubbing.