Find and fix leaks to save money during Fix a Leak Week

Are you ready to chase down leaks? Household leaks can waste nearly 1 trillion gallons of water annually nationwide, so each year the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) is joining with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to encourage people to hunt down the drips during Fix a Leak Week -- March 20 through 26 (and all year long).

Fix a Leak Week, created by the EPA and supported by WaterSense partners across the U.S. and Canada, is aimed at educating residents on the importance of fixing plumbing leaks to save money on water and energy bills.

EGLE's Office of the Clean Water Public Advocate encourages Michiganders to find and fix leaks within their home and share information about leaks with others. Check out Michigan.gov/FixALeakWeek for some practical tips on finding and fixing household leaks and materials you can share on social media. If you decide to get involved, share a photo and tag your post with #FixALeakWeek, #MIFixALeak, and #IFixLeaks!

According to EPA, average households lose more than 10,000 gallons of water each year through leaks. Some water leaks are slow and difficult to detect, yet even the smallest leaks can add up quickly. Fixing easily corrected household leaks can save homeowners about 10 percent on their water bills, and, fortunately, most leaks are easy to find if you know where to look! Use EPA’s at-home checklist or read some tips below to help you find 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.

The EPA has a lot of resources on finding and fixing leaks on its Fix a Leak Week page, including video tutorials. Be sure to check it out! If you've already determined you have leaks and these resources aren't enough to stop them, it might be time to contact a plumbing professional. When replacing fixtures, consider those with a WaterSense label, which could increase your home's water efficiency and lower your bill.

For more information, visit Michigan.gov/FixALeakWeek.