About 11 percent of in-home water use takes place in the kitchen, much of it wasted. Here are some tips for saving:

When cooking, use a pan of water (or stopper the sink) for rinsing pots and pans and cooking implements rather than turning on the water faucet each time a rinse is needed.

Never run your dishwasher without a full load. In addition to saving water, you'll find that your expensive detergent goes a lot further, and a significant energy saving will show up on the utility bill.

Use your sink disposal sparingly, and never for just a few scraps.

Keep a container of drinking water in the refrigerator. Running water from the tap until it is cool is a waste. Better yet, save both water and energy by keeping cold water in a picnic jug on a kitchen counter to avoid needlessly opening the refrigerator door.

When cleaning vegetables, use a small pan of cold water rather than letting the faucet run.

For cooking most food, use only a little water in the pot and put a lid on it. Not only does this method save water, but also food is more nutritious since you don't pour vitamins and minerals down the drain with the extra cooking water.

 If you hand wash dishes, use a pan of water for rinsing rather than a running faucet.

Keep water conservation in mind always and think of other ways you can save in the kitchen. Do you make too much coffee or tea and pour the excess down the drain? Are ice cubes left to melt in the sink? Even small kitchen savings like those can add up in a year's time.