Ask anyone who lives in places like Atlanta, parts of Texas, and many areas out west about what it feels like to tighten the belt on the amount of water we can use in our homes, and you'll realize that water shortages are real and happening right now across the country. With that in mind, I put together my list of 5 water-saving plumbing fixtures that really work and can be installed easily in any home:

1. Install a "PRV" (Pressure reducing valve) on your main water line: A home will work fine with water pressure in the range of 35 to 70 psi, and anything over 80 psi is too high for most codes. However, many homes are unknowingly using water pressure well over 70 psi. Have your plumber check you water pressure and if needed have a PRV installed and save water as well as your pipes.

2. Install performance shower heads: Standard shower heads use about 2.5 gpm (Gallons per minute.) and performance shower heads use about 1.75 gpm. That's a savings of about 30% for all your showering water and with the new performance pressure head design you'll probably not even realize you're saving all that water.

3. Install a "HET" (High-efficiency toilet) with the EPA "Water Sense" label: Over 40% of us are still using older toilets that flush with about 3.5 gallons per flush. New high-efficiency toilets use less than 1.3 gpf by using flushing systems like "Class 6" technology. The Water Sense label shows that the HET was tested for maximum flushing power while saving thousands of gallons of water per year versus older toilets.

4. Install a re-circulating hot water system: Just like the hotels, new residential "re-circulating hot water kits" work with your present hot water tank to deliver hot water quickly to showers and faucets. You'll no longer waste all that cold water while waiting for the hot water to kick in -- your morning routine will be more efficient as well.

5. Install water-saving faucets: By dropping the gallons used per minute from about 2.2 gpm to about 1.5 gpm, new redesigned faucets are also saving about 30% of your faucet water without sacrificing good pressure. Some kitchen faucets also have special built-in filtered water taps that allow you to make your own bottled water.

If you do even one of these projects, not only will you see your own water and sewer bills go down, but you'll be able to help out the environment without even leaving the comfort of your own home!