A paper, "The Water Short List: The Most Effective Actions U.S. Households Can Take to Curb Water Use," co-written by an Indiana University researcher describes how households can reduce water use substantially by simple actions such as installing more efficient appliances and changing day-to-day habits involving water consumption. While the suggestions may be familiar, the researchers are the first to put a comprehensive, quantitative estimate on the amount of water savings available to a typical household. They also find that some frequently discussed conservation steps actually consume more water than they save. Read more at Indiana University's website.