The week of March 17 through 23 is EPA’s annual Fix a Leak Week! Remember that you can find and fix leaks inside and outside your home to save valuable water and money all year long. So, take a moment during the month of month to learn about leaks and how to fix them.
Checking for Leaks
Did you know that the average household's leaks can account for nearly 10,000 gallons of water wasted every year and ten 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.
Learn more at EPA.
Residents can also consider consider signing up for the Village’s leak prevention AquaHawk Alerting system. This system can help you pinpoint the date and time the leak took place. For more information go to the AquaHawk page on the Village website and/or review one of our bill inserts we have mailed to you in the past. You may also call the Utility Billing at 630-594-1011. We would be very happy to help you sign up.
