The US-EPA is celebrating Fix a Leak Week from March 14 – 20 and is providing valuable information and resources to prevent water waste.
Visit their website for more information on fixing leaks and preventing water waste.
Household leaks in the USA waste nearly 1 TRILLION gallons of water – every year.
The most common types of household leaks are
- Toilet Leaks
- Check for leaks with food coloring
- Worn-out toilet flappers are a common cause of leaks
- Faucet Leaks
- Showerhead Leaks
- Outdoor Leaks
A leak of one drip per second can waste over 3,000 gallons of water annually. This is water that you pay for on your utility bill.
The US-EPA has created a list of easy ways to tell if you have a water leak:
- Look at your water usage during a colder month, such as January or February when you are not irrigating outside. If a family of four exceeds 12,000 gallons per month, there could be serious leaks.
- Check your water meter before and after a two-hour period when no water is being used. If the meter changes at all, you probably have a leak.
- Identify toilet leaks by placing a drop of food coloring in the toilet tank. If any color shows up in the bowl after 10 minutes, you have a leak. (Be sure to flush immediately after the experiment to avoid staining the tank.)
- Examine faucet gaskets and pipe fittings for any water on the outside of the pipe to check for surface leaks.