Household leaks can waste nearly 1 trillion gallons of water annually nationwide. That’s why the EPA has a week dedicated to bringing public awareness to this issue. As part of the EPA’s WaterSense program, March 16 through 22 is Fix a Leak Week.
The average household's leaks can account for nearly 10,000 gallons of water wasted every year and 10% of homes have leaks that waste 90 gallons or more per day. Things like worn toilet flappers, dripping faucets, and other leaking valves are oftentimes the prime culprits, and fixing easily corrected water leaks can save homeowners about 10% on their water bills.
Courtesy of the EPA, here are a few tips for finding leaks that you can share with your customers:
- Take a look at 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 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.
