Did you know that minor water leaks account for more than 1 trillion gallons of wasted water each year? That’s the amount of water that 11 million homes use every year. Ten percent of homes have leaks that waste 90 gallons or more every day. Is yours one of them?
You can find out by learning more during the EPA’s 9th annual Fix a Leak Week, which takes place March 20th through the 26th, 2017. Fix a Leak Week is designed to raise awareness of the waste and cost of water leaks. Even minor leaks can have major consequences. They have some great resources to aid you as you search for water leaks and make repairs, including:
They have some great resources to aid you as you search for water leaks and make repairs, including:
- A short, sweet video with quick tips for reducing water waste.
- A web page with techniques for identifying leaks and making minor repairs.
- Another web page with the facts on leaks. Did you know that fixing easily corrected leaks in your home can save you about 10 percent on your water bills?
- A collection of learning resources for teachers, including worksheets and guides for teaching tomorrow’s water stewards.
Events are also taking place across the country, including a few in our area:
- The City of Frisco is offering two Fix a Leak Workshops on Thursday, March 23rd. If you live in Frisco, you should check out the city’s Water Resources page. They offer free sprinkler check-ups, free shower head exchanges, and are selling rain barrels until April 7th.
- The City of Dallas also plans to host two free DIY plumbing repairs workshops on Tuesday, March 21st and Thursday, March 23rd, where you can learn how to make simple repairs to toilets and faucets and install low-flow shower heads and faucet aerators. Did you know they also have a toilet replacement program which offers a free, high-efficiency toilet to replace an older one in your home.
- Plano is getting on the action too with a free workshop on Saturday, March 25th. You’ll learn how to make minor repairs and do preventative maintenance on your plumbing systems. And you’ll leave with free leak detection dye tablets, faucet aerators, and low-flow shower heads!
- Fort Worth is raising awareness with a 5K run on Saturday, March 18th. The event includes a free kids 1K fun run. You can register online until Friday or pay at the event.
For more information, check out the EPA’s Fix a Leak site and Facebook event map. If you find and fix a leak, tweet a photo with the hashtag #IFixLeaks. And for a quick smile, check out this movie clip about a leak in a boat!
