Green Monday: conserving water.

Hi, all. Welcome to May! After a fun weekend of music with friends, making and delivering a wedding cake, and starting a major lace project, it's time to get down to looking for more ways to "live green". Today, we'll focus on water conservation.

Quick, how many ways can you think of to save water?

Besides showering in pairs, smarty.

There are plenty of ways to be water wise, so let's pick out ten simple ideas. Take sprinklers, for example. How many times have you been out for your daily constitutional and had to dodge a badly-aimed sprinkler? Sidewalks won't grow, but your water bill will with that kind of waste.

Got a pool? Get a cover. Not only will you promote safety, you'll prevent evaporation.

Here's a great one from www.wateruseitwisely.com: "For cold drinks keep a pitcher of water in the refrigerator instead of running the tap. This way, every drop goes down you and not the drain."

One thing that drives me nuts is seeing gas stations and such sending employees out to hose down the lot. A good old-fashioned broom instead of a hose (or gas-guzzling leaf blower) will save gallons of water and give you some exercise in the bargain.

The season of cold drinks is upon us. Did you drop an ice cube? Toss it in a potted plant! It's kind of like picking up pennies. It doesn't seem like you're saving much, but it adds up.

Set up rain barrels to collect roof runoff. Free water for your lawn and plants, woo-hoo!

While showering, shut off the water while you lather up. It works just as well as buying a water-saving shower head, and saves you an afternoon of plumbing detail.

Looking for a landscaping upgrade? Choose plants with low water requirements and group plants with similar water needs together. This can help prevent over-watering and reduce your overall use.

Learn the locations of shutoff valves in your home. In case there's a problem, you can save water and prevent damage by getting to the source ASAP.

This one's obvious, but gets overlooked because it's the least fun. Fix those leaks! Put some food coloring in your toilet tank to see if it leaks. Check faucets for drips. If you find one, fix it as soon as you can to save hundreds of gallons of water.

There, that wasn't so bad. I'll bet most of you already knew this stuff, too. Share these ideas and any others you may have with your friends and neighbors. While you're at it, post your best water conservation tips here. I'm always up for some green game plans!