Fix-a-Leak Week March 15-21, 2010

Every Drop Counts

More than one trillion gallons of water are wasted in U.S. homes each year from easy-to-fix leaks. That’s why the Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors—National Association is participating in Fix a Leak Week, March 15 to 21, 2010, 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!

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.)
• If you decide it’s time for a new toilet or faucet, hire a plumbing professional who can recommend 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.

More information available here:

PHCC Press Release

Fix a Leak Fact Sheet