BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: We've been talking not only today but throughout about the drought that's plaguing some parts of the country. CNN's Brian Cabell now tells us what those facing the problem can do at home to help cut back on water use.</s>BRIAN CABELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Should you shower, or take a bath? Experts say showers generally require less water. The toilet: Almost 27 percent of all water used inside a home goes down the toilet, and that, experts say, is where consumers can conserve the most.</s>GRETCHEN GIGLEY, SOUTHFACE ENERGY INSTITUTE: A typical toilet will use four gallons of water per flush. A water-saving toilet will use less than two.</s>CABELL: No money for a new toilet? Stick a brick in the tank. That'll do the trick. In the kitchen, a dishwasher usually requires less water than hand-washing in the sink. The laundry room poses another decision.</s>GIGLEY: It's better to purchase a front-loading washing machine if you're in the market for a new machine.</s>CABELL: Two reasons: there's no agitator in a front-loader, which means more room for clothes; and a front-loader generally doesn't fill and release water as much as a top-loader. Outside, some simple but effective steps to conserve: cut down on your lawn. It soaks up too much water. Also, cut it high. That keeps the moisture in. Mulch three inches deep. That retains moisture. And try capturing water from your rain gutters in barrels like these. It's simple and cheap.</s>GIGLEY: For a 1,500-square-foot roof that you're catching water from, in a one-inch rain, you can catch about 700 gallons of water.</s>CABELL: A final suggestion from the experts: hold off on planting, if possible, until fall. A new plant in a summer drought may need water every day and still may not survive. Brian Cabell, CNN, Atlanta.
Drought: Conserving Water in the Home