If you have a backyard pool, one easy habit to get into is to make sure it is covered whenever it's not in use. In just one week, a pool can lose about an inch of water if left uncovered. By simply covering it, you can help save as much as 95 percent of that evaporation. Covers also help conserve heat, which is another cost of owning a backyard pool; help keep the pool cleaner, since leaves and other debris are kept out; and it's safer.

In the summer months, it's imperative to take simple steps in your outdoor garden to help conserve water. The biggest step you can take is to make sure the soil for your landscaping is properly conditioned. If there is too much clay in the soil, it can keep water from being absorbed, which will cause plants to wilt. Conditioning the soil with organic matter like compost and sand aerates the soil and allows you to water less and get better results. Add a few inches of mulch on top of the soil to help prevent evaporation.

If you wash your car at home, do it over grass or soil and not on a paved surface. When you wash a car on an unpaved area, you allow the soapy, dirty water to soak into the ground, where it has a chance to filter and soak back into the soil as groundwater. Be sure to use biodegradable detergents or soaps to wash your car, especially if you have your own well water on-site, since contaminants from chemical soaps can leach into your own water supply.