Every Drop Counts
Did you know that an American home can waste, on average, more than 10,000 gallons of water every year due to running toilets, dripping faucets, and other household leaks?
Nationwide, more than 1 trillion gallons of water leak from U.S. homes each year. That's why WaterSense reminds Americans to check their plumbing fixtures and irrigation systems each year during Fix a Leak Week.
WaterSense is teaming up with the Arizona Municipal Water Users Association (AMWUA) to promote the third annual Fix a Leak Week, March 14-20, 2011. The week’s activities will be topped off by We’re for Water—Join the Chase!, a 4 mile road race and informational educational fair in Peoria, Arizona.
For all the latest on Fix a Leak Week events happening across the country, be sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter!
Being handy around the house doesn't have to be difficult. Common types of leaks found in the home are worn toilet flappers, dripping faucets, and other leaking valves. These types of leaks are often easily correctable, in many cases requiring only a few tools and hardware that can pay for themselves in water savings.
Repare goteos y fugas alrededor del hogar (En Español)
Checking for Leaks
To check for leaks in your home, first you need to determine whether you're wasting water, then identify the source of the leak.
- Take a look at your water usage during a colder month, such as January or February. If a family of four exceeds 12,000 gallons per month, there are 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 15 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.
- The Regional Water Providers Consortium has a video on detecting household leaks that you may find helpful.