Homeowners can save water and keep their bills down by making better use of their kitchen sinks and taps, it has been suggested.Neil MacDonald of the Liverpool Echo said that now that a hosepipe ban has been announced by United Utilities in the North West of England following an extremely dry 2010 so far, people should take on board some tips and ideas to help maintain reservoir levels and ensure the water stays flowing.He argued that in the home, this could include making regular use of a plug in the kitchen sink.Running the tap can waste a litre of water every six or seven seconds, observed Mr MacDonald.Elsewhere, homeowners were advised to replace the washer in a dripping kitchen tap, with the writer noting that one such tap could waste as much as 90 litres of water a week. If it is a hot water tap, fixing the leak could also save 18 a year on your bills too, he added.Meanwhile, a recent home improvement article by NorthJersey.com suggested that kitchen taps are vital fixtures in terms of both functionality and aesthetics.