When you want a cool glass of water, do you run the faucet for a few moments until the stream is cold? Unless you live somewhere where the tap water is always icy, this little habit wastes a surprising amount of water.
According to the Alliance for Water Efficiency, a new kitchen faucet flows at a rate of half a gallon per minute, on average. Faucets installed during the 1990s, however, may flow at closer to 2.2 gallons per minute. That means you could be pouring up to a gallon of water down the drain for every 30 seconds you leave the tap running.
A better way to satisfy your cold water cravings is to fill up a large container of drinking water from the tap and keep it in the fridge.