Just one faucet with a constant drip can leak up to 10,000 gallons a year.

Your pool will naturally lose some water to evaporation and splash-out. Your pool may also gain water from rainfall. Pools should be watertight, but sealants deteriorate and parts of your pool shift and crack. Pools can leak through any of these cracks or through dislodged fittings.

Water evaporates much more quickly during the hot part of the day.

Some ovens do not make efficient use of energy; this is especially true of older models.

Some water heaters lose much of the heat they consume. This is especially true of older and lower cost models, and important in homes with large numbers of people.

Although some manufacturers set water heater thermostats at 140° F, most households usually only need them set at 120° F. Setting the thermostat at a lower temperature threshold can save substantial amounts of energy.

Enormous amounts of (often heated) water simply run down the drain, unused in processes that wash dishes by hand.

Tank-based hot water heaters lose significant amounts of heat when they are on. In periods when hot water is not used, this waste can be easily prevented by simply shutting the water heater off.

Traditional faucets use three times the amount of water that newer, aerating faucets use.

Traditional showerheads can use three times the amount of water that newer showerheads use.