Wired Magazine is featuring an insightful article on Peak Water, with a look at the water supply situation in the Southwest U.S., London and Australia, noting the interdependency between water use and energy production. There are some interesting points throughout, such as the fact that a pair of jeans requires over 2,800 gallons of water to produce.

Living in such a hot and dry country, Australians are no stranger to water shortages and have become leaders in implementing conservation strategies. For instance, it’s no surprise that they claim birth to the dual-flush toilet: a toilet with buttons for half-flush or full-flush depending on what you’re leaving behind. Since toilets are one of the biggest water-wasters in households, the half-flush option can end up saving a lot of water.

If you want to follow in the Australian’s footsteps a step further, then consider implementing the following philosophy: “If it’s yellow, let it mellow; if it’s brown, flush it down.” While some might not like the thought of entering the bathroom and finding a toilet with anything less than crystal-clear water in the bowl (which is rather ironic given what you’re about to do to it), consider the impending alternative: if (when) your town or city runs out of natural supplies of drinkable water, you may end up drinking recycled waste water.