Beat the Leak: Find and Stop Leaks Fast

Fix a Leak Week is March 19-25
Easy Ways to be a Leak Detective

Did you know….?Fix-a-Leak-Week

  • The average household is estimated to leak more than 10,000 gallons of water per year, enough water to do almost a year’s worth of laundry.
  • One trillion gallons of water are lost to leaks each year in U.S. homes, equal to the amount of water used by more than 11 million homes.

Do your part by participating in the annual “Fix a Leak Week” (March 19-25), and remember to be alert for leaks all year long.

Some of the most common culprits inside the home are worn toilet flappers, old and worn out faucet washers and gaskets and loose showerhead connections. Outside, sources of leaks can be broken sprinkler heads, cracked pipes, or leaky spigots and garden hoses.

Here’s how to check for leaks:

  • Review your water utility bill. For a family of four, if your winter water use is more than 10,000 gallons per month it’s likely you have a leak. Also look for a spike in water usage from one month to the next.
  • Visually examine all of your faucets and showerheads. Even a slow dripping faucet can waste more than 1,000 gallons a year.
  • Check your toilet with a simple dye test. Place dye tablets or a couple of drops of food coloring into the tank. If the colored water appears in the bowl within 15 minutes, there is a leak in the flapper valve.
  • Look under your sinks for pooling water around pipes or rust around joints and edges.
  • Check your dishwasher, clothes washer and water heater for pooling water, rust or loose connections.
  • Walk your yard and look for soggy areas. A soft spot can indicate you have a leak in your service line or sprinkler system.

And remember, fixing leaks shouldn’t be confined to only one week a year. Check your faucets, toilets, sprinklers and other water using appliances on a regular basis to make sure there aren’t any problems, and fix them as soon as you find them.

Learn more about chasing down leaks.