Missouri American Water and USEPA Offer Tips to Help Customers Find Costly Water Leaks
Annual Fix a Leak Week:
According to the USEPA, the average home’s leaks result in nearly 10,000 gallons of water wasted per year, which is enough to wash more than 300 loads of laundry. Fixing leaks can reduce water bills by approximately 10 percent, according to the USEPA. In residences, the two most common leaks come from faucets and toilets.
“Common household leaks are often easy to fix, and doing so conserves water and saves money,” said
- Monitor usage on your water bill. If you notice a spike and you haven’t recently increased your usage, like watering your lawn or filling a swimming pool, it might be because of a leak.
- Test your toilet. Leaks can occur in your toilet and are frequently due to an old or worn out flapper. Test for a leak by putting a drop of food coloring into the toilet tank. After 10 minutes, if any color shows up in the bowl, you have a leak.
- Check faucet gaskets. Check faucet gaskets and pipe fittings for surface leaks, indicated by water on the exterior of the pipes, at least once a season and especially after extreme temperature changes.
- Listen. One of the simplest ways to watch out for leaks is to listen for running water from your toilet and dripping from your faucets or showerheads.
- Check in-ground irrigation systems and hoses. Make sure they weren’t damaged by frost or freezing. An irrigation system that has a leak the size of a dime can waste about 6,300 gallons per month.
- Download a Leak Detection Kit. Visit missouriamwater.com → Water & Wastewater Information → Detecting Leaks, and click the link to download our easy-to-follow leak detection kit.
Additional information and helpful tips to spot leaks and use water wisely can also be found on the USEPA’s WaterSense website: epa.gov/watersense.
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