Nationwide more than 1 trillion gallons of water leak from U.S. homes each year. WaterSense, along with a network of partner events, are reminding homeowners to check their plumbing fixtures and irrigation systems during Fix a Leak Week, March 12-18, 2012.
Given 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, WaterSense has issued tips for spotting and fixing leaks. 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.
In order to check for leaks in the home, WaterSense has developed a checklist to determine if water is being wasted:
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 WaterSense website also offers videos and tips to identify and fix leaks in toilets, faucets, showerheads and outdoors. Events and activities surrounding Fix a Leak Week will be listed here.
