Over a billion people on this planet have unhealthy drinking water, according to the IRC International Water and Sanitation Centre, and most of them are not in the United States. We rarely give running water a second thought. But a couple of days without it can change your perspective: all of a sudden drinking water is a luxury, and one you can’t live without.

Practically Green offers several relatively painless suggestions for saving your water – no-brainer stuff like turning it off when you don’t really need it on, or installing low-flow showerheads (which honestly don’t feel any different from the ones that use two or three times as many gallons of water per minute).

Our friend Ashley Adams English discovered her appreciation for H2o last winter when her power went out for five days, and along with it her potable water. This prompted her to write a lively tutorial on water conservation, preservation, and stewardship. For instance, here’s a water-saving tip we hadn’t thought of: “Consider taking a foot bath or having a mug of herbal tea for evening relaxation instead of taking a shower.” We liked the whole post so much, we’ll recycle part of it here.

Ashley Adams English

“I like to think that my relationship with water has been a pretty conscientious one ever since I became an adult. I’m mindful of running the dishwasher only when full, try my best to take quick showers, and water my garden judiciously. The relationship took a serious turn this past December, however. Following the first heavy snow, on December 19th, that dumped 17″ in one day, we lost power. As the forecast had only been for anywhere between 3-10″, we were left completely unprepared for the five days without electricity that would ensue.

“I live a mile down a dirt road, tucked into a forested cove that abuts a large parcel of undeveloped land. Rurally-situated folks like myself aren’t usually first on the list to have their power restored, as the general assumption, I suppose, is that we have the supplies, robust constitution, and wood stoves necessary to make do until power can be restored. While that is true (at least, it is in our home), what I hadn’t really considered, living remotely for the first time, was that without power, we wouldn’t have water. We have a well, and the well needs electricity to pump water up from the ground and into the house. And so it was that I came to learn the art of melting and gently warming snow. I used the melted snow to wash dishes, for bathing, and to provide my animals with water. The water’s scarcity augmented its importance. It is a resource that we absolutely cannot live without and one which we so often overlook. When you turn on the tap and no water comes out, everything changes.”

Read more on Ashley’s blog, “Small Measure” — and on DesignSpongeonline.com, where you’ll see her recommendations for “Acid Test,” a stunning film produced by the Natural Resources Defense Council; and Annie Leonard’s “The Story of Bottled Water.” Ashley also suggests two books to help you plant a drought-tolerant garden: Gaia’s Garden: A Guide to Home-Scale Permaculture, by Toby Hemenway: “for the gardener who wants to work with Mother Nature instead of against her” (Amazon); and Landscaping With Fruit: Strawberry ground covers, blueberry hedges, grape arbors, and 39 other luscious fruits to make your yard an edible paradise, by Lee Reich.