Click here to see what happened at 2010's Fix a Leak Week.
What is “Fix a Leak Week”?
Because minor water leaks account for more than 1 trillion gallons of water wasted each year in U.S. homes, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has declared “Fix a Leak Week,” March 14 through 20, 2010. Fix a Leak Week is sponsored by EPA’s WaterSense® program as an annual reminder to Americans to check household plumbing fixtures and irrigation systems for leaks.
WaterSense is a partnership program sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Its mission is to protect the future of our nation’s water supply by promoting and enhancing the market for water-efficient products and services. Currently, there are more than 400 WaterSense labeled toilets, more than 1,600 labeled faucets and faucet accessories, and more than 850 certified irrigation partners. WaterSense labeled products must achieve independent, third-party testing and certification to prove they meet EPA’s rigorous criteria for efficiency and performance.
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 DuPage Water Commission is participating in Fix a Leak Week, March 14 to 20, 2011, 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 or enough to wash nearly 10 months' worth of laundry!
Here’s how to identify and address leaks around your home:
- 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.
- To determine if you have a leak, now is a great time to check water usage. If a family of four exceeds 12,000 gallons per month in the winter, you probably have leaks!
- Search for toilet leaks by placing a drop of food coloring in the toilet tank. 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.) Check out DWC's How to Fix a Toilet Leak pamphlet.
Here’s how you can address leaks found at home:
- Check for leaks. Look for dripping faucets, showerheads, and fixture connections as well as toilets with silent leaks, by putting a few drops of food coloring into the tank and seeing if it appears in the bowl before you flush. Don’t forget to check irrigation systems and spigots too.
- Twist and tighten pipe connections. To save more water without a noticeable difference in flow, twist on a WaterSense labeled faucet aerator.
- Replace the fixture if necessary. Look for WaterSense labeled models, which are independently tested and certified to use 20 percent less water and perform as well as or better than standard models.
Get Involved
Fix a Leak Week is March 14 to 20, 2011. Grab a wrench or contact your favorite handy person, plumber, or WaterSense irrigation partner to address leaking toilets, faucets, and irrigation systems around your home.