According to the Environmental Protection Agency, household leaks can waste up to 1 trillion gallons of water every year nationwide.
That wasted water is equal to the annual household water use of nearly 11 million homes.
Many leaks are easy to find and fix.
Common home leaks are worn toilet flappers, dripping faucets, and other leaking valves
To check for leaks, try these tips:
- Look at your water meter before and after two hours when no water is used. If the meter changes, you probably have a leak.
- Check your water bill. Is your water use higher than usual?
- Put a few drops of food coloring in the tank at the back of your toilet and let it sit for 10 minutes. If color shows up in the bowl, you have a leak. You may want to replace your old toilet flapper. If it is torn or worn, it can silently leak thousands of gallons a year.
- Listen for drips from bathroom and kitchen faucets. Old and worn washers and gaskets can cause leaks. A leaky faucet that drips at the rate of one drip per second can waste more than 3,000 gallons per year—the equivalent of taking 180 showers.
- Pay attention to leaking showerheads. At ten drips per minute, waste can top 500 gallons per year. That’s the amount of water it takes to wash 60 loads of dishes in your dishwasher.
Other places to look for leaks:
- Under the bathroom, kitchen, and laundry room sinks. Check for pooling water under pipes and rust around joints and edges.
- Under the clothes washer. Pooling water could mean a supply line leak.
- Under the water heater, dishwasher, and refrigerator. Pooling water or rust could mean a supply line leak.
For more advice, visit these sites: www.epa.gov/watersense www.smarthomewaterguide.org
