Fix a Leak Week, March 14–20
Every Drop Counts
More than 1 trillion gallons of water are wasted in U.S. homes each year from easy-to-fix leaks. That’s why we participate in the annual Fix a Leak Week, held in March, and we encourage you to join us.
Sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) WaterSense® program, this week is an opportunity to improve the water efficiency of your home by checking for and fixing leaks, which waste an average of more than 10,000 gallons of water per home each year. That’s enough water to fill up a backyard swimming pool. Last year, we posted videos at www.youtube.com/LoudounWater to promote awareness that everyone can benefit from checking, and fixing, leaks. We'd love to hear how you fixed a leak, or share your own video on You Tube and we'll post it on our website.
Here’s how to identify and address leaks around your home:
- Search for toilet leaks by placing a drop of food coloring in the toilet tank or use one of our toilet leak detector dye tablets. If any color shows up in the bowl without flushing first, you have a leak. (Be sure to flush immediately to avoid staining the tank.) Need dye tablets? Contact us for free tablets or you can stop by our Administration Building during office hours to pick them up. Leaky toilets can waste about 200 gallons of water per day. Old, faulty toilet flappers are a common source of leaks. They are inexpensive and can be purchased at a local hardware store.
- Check all of your faucets and outdoor spigots for any obvious drips. You may have a worn seal that needs to be replaced.
- If you decide it’s time for a new toilet or faucet, look for WaterSense labeled products, which use 20 percent less water and perform as well or better than standard models. Most common leaks can be eliminated after retrofitting a household with new WaterSense labeled fixtures and other high-efficiency appliances.
- Check along your hoses for any leaks. If you have an irrigation system, it should be checked each spring for broken heads. A leak along your system can waste about 6,300 gallons per month.
- Grab a wrench or contact your favorite handy person, plumber, certified irrigation contractor to address leaking toilets, faucets, and irrigation systems around your home. As a WaterSense partner concerned with preserving our nation’s water supply, we can help you learn more. Visit our Conservation or Plumbing and Pipes pages for information and tips.
Visit the WaterSense Web site to learn more www.epa.gov/watersense/fixaleak.