Leaks can run, but they can’t hide.
Household leaks can waste nearly 1 trillion gallons of water annually nationwide, so each year the U.S. EPA encourages homeowners to hunt down the drips during Fix a Leak Week. This year it is being held on March 16–22, 2020—but remember that you can find and fix leaks inside and outside your home to save valuable water and money all year long.
From family fun runs to leak detection contests to WaterSense demonstrations, Fix a Leak Week events happen from coast to coast and are all geared to teach you how to find and fix household leaks. You can find events and ideas at epa.gov/watersense/fix-leak-week.
Learn how to find and fix leaks during Fix a Leak Week. It’s as easy as 1-2-3.
Checking for Leaks
The average household’s leaks can account for nearly 10,000 gallons of water wasted every year, and 10 percent of homes have leaks that waste 90 gallons or more per day. Common types of leaks found in the home are worn toilet flappers, dripping faucets, and other leaking valves. These types of leaks are often easy to fix, requiring only a few tools and hardware that can pay for themselves in water savings. Fixing easily corrected household water leaks can save homeowners about 10 percent on their water bills.
To check for leaks in your home, you first need to determine whether you’re wasting water and then identify the source of the leak. Here are some tips for finding leaks:
- Take a look at your water usage during a colder month, such as January or February. If a family of four exceeds 12,000 gallons per month, there are serious leaks.
- 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.
- Identify toilet leaks by placing a drop of food coloring in the toilet tank. If any color shows up in the bowl after 10 minutes, you have a leak. (Be sure to flush immediately after the experiment to avoid staining the tank.)
- Examine faucet gaskets and pipe fittings for any water on the outside of the pipe to check for surface leaks.
- WaterSense partners have guides and videos that you might find helpful in finding and fixing leaks.
- Arizona Municipal Water User’s Association has a great Smart Home Water Guide.
- Regional Water Providers Consortium in Oregon has a video on detecting household leaks.
- Thornton Water in Colorado provides tips and tricks to find hidden water waste indoors and outdoors.
You can find more information at epa.gov/watersense/fix-leak-week.
