UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Most people don't think much about water until there's an emergency. But with this year's drought affecting every county in Pennsylvania, an expert in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences offers some ways to help people cut water use in their homes.

"You'll probably use many of these water-saving methods only in emergencies," says William Sharpe, professor of forest hydrology. "But if you can apply any of the suggestions to your ordinary routine, by all means do so."

Sharpe offers the following suggestions:

• Flush toilets less often. In most cases, you can use the toilet several times for liquid waste before flushing.

• Don't use toilets for disposing of trash, waste paper and the like.

• Make sure your toilet doesn't leak. "Place a few drops of food coloring in the tank," Sharpe says. "If the color appears in the bowl without flushing, your toilet is leaking -- have it fixed immediately."

• Fix leaking faucets. "A 1/16 inch opening at 40 pounds of pressure will leak 970 gallons in 24 hours," he says. "This advice applies whether we're in a drought or not. Studies have shown that many homes have leaking toilets and faucets. The first thing you should do after reading this article is to check your plumbing for leaks and have them fixed."

• Don't let faucets run while washing or rinsing. Fill the sink or a container with water for this purpose.

• Bathe less frequently and take shorter showers. "The longer you're in the shower, the more water you use," Sharpe says.

• If your shower has a mixing valve that can be set by dial to the desired temperature, turn off the shower while soaping up. Then, turn on the shower to rinse off. "I don't recommend this for showers without automatic temperature adjustment or a shut-off valve," Sharpe says. " If your shower doesn't have a temperature dial, you may end up using more water to readjust the temperature."

• Allow small children to bathe in the tub at the same time.

• Use disposable diapers to avoid a toilet flush when rinsing a dirty diaper and to cut down on laundry.

• When shaving, use water in the washbowl to clean your razor between strokes, or use an electric razor.

• Brush teeth before shaving. "This way, the cold water in the supply line is used instead of running to waste while you wait for the hot water," Sharpe says.

• After brushing your teeth, use a glass of water to rinse your mouth rather than running water over the toothbrush and using the toothbrush to rinse your mouth.

• Keep drinking water refrigerated so you don't have to run water to get a cold drink.

• Don't prewash dishes for automatic dishwashers unless necessary.

• Avoid using the garbage disposal. Instead, compost vegetable peelings on your garden or put them in the garbage can.

• Always use a brush, washcloth or your hand to dislodge dirt when washing anything, rather than relying on the force of the water to do the job.

• When drawing water for tea or coffee, draw only the amount likely to be consumed. You can always make more if you want it.

• Reuse kitchen drain water by collecting it in a container and using it to water plants, lawns and gardens. "You also can use it to recharge the toilet reservoir when flushing toilets," Sharpe says. "But be sure it contains no large solids such as vegetable peelings."

• Collect water from roof gutters to water lawns and plants.

• Don't water lawns or wash cars.

• Install water-saving plumbing fixtures in the home where possible and economically justified. "Water conservation devices help eliminate waste by allowing only the necessary amounts of water to be used at the plumbing fixture," Sharpe says. "In most cases, the user doesn't even notice the difference. Once installed, these devices save water day in and day out with no thought or effort on the part of the homeowner."

Penn State's Environmental Resources Research Institute offers a free publication, "Saving Money with Home Water Conservation Devices." Copies are available from Joy Drohan, Publications Editor, ERRI, Land and Water Research Building, University Park, PA 16802, or by e-mail at jdrohan@psu.edu.

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EDITORS: For more information, contact William Sharpe at 814-863-8564.

Contacts: Kim Dionis KDionis@psu.edu 814-863-2703 814-865-1068 fax