Clean water is important to the quality of life on Earth. Every living creature needs clean water to live. Without the benefit of clean water for drinking, cooking, bathing, and recreating, quality of life would certainly diminish as would the quality of health for all living creatures. Yes humans, that means you too. Water falls from the sky onto our farms, neighborhoods, fields, and forests. As it flows down the landscape and into rivers, lakes, and streams, it picks up any pollutant in its path. So if your car has an oil leak or you over-fertilized your yard, those substances find their way into your local stream; and in some cases, into your local water supply. The water that comes out of your faucet, shower-head, and toilet tank is the same water that fell out of the sky at a previous date. Granted, that water has gone through some kind of purification process, but still, this water has been taken from the earth; and it will go back to the earth where the whole process will begin again. All the water on planet Earth that we have now is all of the water that has ever been on planet Earth and is all of the water that will ever be on planet Earth. Think about it. The earth is a closed system which means nothing goes out of it and nothing comes into it (wellexcept for the occasional meteorite I suppose). Everything we have we get out of the planet; everything we waste we give back to the planet. This is our only planet, and our only chance to get it right. Our resources are not expendable, and if we don't take care of them they may be irreplaceable. So do what you can to protect and conserve our resources before the time comes that you wished you had.
Install rain barrels to keep the rain water that falls off your roof during rain events. You can use it to water your garden and landscaping or wash your car and your dog. In addition, installing a rain barrel will reduce the fast flow rate of water gushing off of hard surfaces (roofs, sidewalks, driveways, etc.) as it carries pollutants into rivers and streams. The faster the water rushes into the streams from developed areas the more of the streambank it takes downstream with it. This erosion causes property damage and decreases the water quality of the stream.
Planting rain gardens is a beautiful way to get rid of that ugly mud puddle in your back yard and it will also filter rainwater before allowing it to trickle down into the groundwater supply (where most people in this area get their drinking water). Don't let the water run while you're brushing your teeth. Only run the dishwasher and washing machine with a full load. Take short showers. Besides all that, just wait and see what these practices will do to your water bill.
This is our one and only planet, and our one and only chance to get it right. Take care of your planet so it can take care of you.