In order to provide insight to the community, the Plainview Water District has compiled a brief list of tips for helping conserve water. Most people realize the importance of conserving water, especially in and around the house. Therefore, the following are just a few of the many things residents can do to help maintain the high quality of water in the Plainview community.

* The average automatic dishwasher uses 12 to 20 gallons of water in one cycle. To save water, use the dishwasher, but only when it's full. Washing by hand is less efficient and wastes more water.

* The toilet is the biggest user of water in the home. One flush of a conventional toilet can use from two to seven gallons of water. New, more efficient low-flow models use less than two gallons. You can reduce water consumption in a conventional toilet by adding a dam to the tank, which will fill up some of the space in the tank so less water is used. Several types of the commercially made tank dams are available, or you can fill a plastic bottle with water and set it in the tank away from the float.

* Running the faucet while brushing your teeth or shaving can use two to five gallons of water per minute. Shut off the water until you're ready to rinse. You could save about 100 gallons a month.

* Standard shower heads use six to eight gallons of water every minute. For example, a 10-minute shower uses about 55 gallons of water. Take a shorter shower or install a low-flow shower head. Water savings can really add up when you control the flow -- you could save about 450 gallons a month.

* A leaking faucet can waste up to 100 gallons of water a day. Check for leaking faucets, toilets or pipes around the house to cut water waste.