More than 1.5 million households in a dozen major U.S. cities with publicly operated water utilities owe $1.1 billion in past-due water bills, according to a Circle of Blue investigation. Businesses, industries, and other commercial operations in those cities owed another $416 million.

Most Americans give little thought to water bills, paying them on time and in full. But for a subset of homeowners and renters, water debt is constant and menacing.

But.. wait a minute!
OK. Water costs money. That’s a given… but surely the QUALITY of the water is a part of the agreement to supply our water… That’s the corporational side. Then… what about our home ‘responsibility? Do we run water when we don’t need to? Our forefathers knew the value of water and were frugal, but the advertising-driven culture we now live in tells us over.. and over.. and over.. to splash, to drench, to douse ourselves, our gardens… everything. So what would turn around this craziness and restore the true value to our way of thinking?

Here in Australia, a drought helped. It was a bad one and our collective reservoirs, tanks and springs didn't just dry up.. they got to such a state that the contaminants that sank to the bottom were now concentrated in our supply. Nasty.

But what about a home water plan? Do you have one? Have you thought about it seriously? What could you include in your Home water plan?

1. Teach the family
2. Be the example.
3. Filter your water
4. Use a shower water saving head.
5. Drink water, not water replacements.