Save Money by learning WaterSense

We’re all looking for ways to save money. Did you know that making some simple changes in water use can save the average family over one hundred dollars a year. Becoming more water efficient is easy and provides not only financial benefits for you but also helps conserve our limited water resources.

But why should YOU care about becoming water efficient? Remember the recent drought were Atlanta almost ran out of water. Water is a limited resource and it cost a lot of money to process the water we do have into drinkable water. We can help conserve our water resources today by stopping water waste and adopting water conservation practices today.

Fixing leaks is one of the quickest and easiest ways for people to conserve water and start saving money today. Average home leaks can waster over 11,000 gallons of water per year, and that’s enough to fill a backyard swimming pool. Leaks can occur in any water fixture, like toilets, sinks, showers or outdoor faucets. Fixing leaks can reduce your monthly water bill by more than 10 percent and help reduce water waste, saving water for future generations. Below is some helpful advice you can use today to detect leaks in your home and fix them.

Leak Detection:

  • Check your water meter before and after a two-hour period when no water is being used. If the meter does not read exactly the same, you probably have a leak.
  • One way to find out if you have a toilet leak is to place a drop of food coloring in the toilet tank. If the color shows up in the bowl without flushing, you have a leak. Make sure to flush immediately after this experiment to avoid staining the tank.

Faucets and Showerheads:

  • Leaky faucets can be reduced by checking faucet washers and gaskets for wear and replacing them if necessary.
  • Most leaky showerheads can be fixed by ensuring a tight connection using pipe tape and a wrench.

Toilets:

  • If your toilet is leaking, the cause is most often an old, faulty toilet flapper. Over time, this inexpensive rubber part decays, or minerals build up on it. It’s usually best to replace the whole rubber flapper—a relatively easy, inexpensive do-it-yourself project that pays for itself in no time.

Outdoors:

  • An irrigation system should be checked each spring before use to make sure it was not damaged by frost or freezing.
  • Check your garden hose for leaks at its connection to the spigot. If it leaks while you run your hose, replace the nylon or rubber hose washer and ensure a tight connection to the spigot using pipe tape and a wrench.

For more information check out the EPA’s WaterSense page “Facts on Leaksâ€