March 28, 2024

Iowa Utilities Board supports 11th annual Fix-a-Leak Week

DES MOINES – Nearly 1 trillion gallons of water is wasted each year in the United States through minor residential drips and leaks. That’s equal to the total water used by more than 11 million homes. The Iowa Utilities Board joins the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s WaterSense program partners in supporting the 11th annual Fix-a-Leak Week, March 18-24, and encourages Iowans to check for sources of drips to save valuable water and money all year long.

According to the EPA, a faucet that drips once per second leaks 3,000 gallons a year and an average household leak can lead to 10,000 gallons of lost water annually. Ten percent of homes have leaks that drain more than 90 gallons a day, the EPA notes. Common causes are worn toilet flappers, dripping faucets and faulty valves.

The EPA’s WaterSense partners offer these tips for finding leaks inside and outside your home:

• Check your water meter before and after a two-hour period when no water is used. A change in the meter reading indicates you could have a leak.

• Place a drop of food coloring in toilet tanks to check for leaks. Without flushing, wait 10 minutes to see if any color appears in the bowl. If it does, you have a leak.

• Observe faucet handles, gaskets and fittings for signs of water outside the pipe that could indicate a leak.

• Check landscape irrigation systems each spring before use to make sure no damaged occurred from frost or freezing.

When replacing leaky plumbing fixtures or irrigation systems, look for the WaterSense logo to indicate a product meets EPA criteria for water efficiency and performance and is backed by independent, third-party certification.

Learn more about problematic leaks and water conservation at www.epa.gov/watersense.