With 36 states expected to face water shortages by 2013, the U.S. EPA WaterSense program has declared March 14-21 as “Fix a Leak Week” to remind Americans to check household plumbing fixtures and irrigation systems for leaks.
Because seemingly minor home water leaks account for serious annual total losses, American Water has partnered with WaterSense to offer tips to detect and fix leaks.
Water leaks may now account for more than one trillion gallons of water wasted each year in U.S. homes, according to the EPA. Even a leak the size of a pinhole in a home water system can waste as much as 4,000 gallons of water per month. Here are some tips that water utilities and city water departments can encourage customers to follow:
- 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.
- Check your toilet for leaks by inserting a few drops of food coloring in the tank. Wait 15 minutes. If food coloring appears in the toilet bowl, you have a leak. Leaky toilets most often result from a worn flapper. Replacing it could save up to 200 gallons per day.
- For a leaky garden hose, replace the nylon or rubber hose washer and ensure a tight connection to the spigot by using pipe tape and a wrench.
- Tighten connections on your showerheads if drips appear when the shower is off.
- Regularly check toilets, faucets and pipes for leaks. Leak detection kits can be downloaded from the Learning Center of the American Water web site at www.amwater.com.
Homeowners replacing a plumbing fixture can look for the EPA WaterSense label. Labeled toilets and faucets have been independently tested and certified to save water and perform as well as or better than standard models. For more information on “Fix a Leak Week,” visit www.epa.gov/watersense/fixaleak.
