21

Mar

National Fix a Leak Week

Water-conservation-stamp-1960

Wikimedia Commons image of US postage stamp issued 1960.

National Fix a Leak Week is March 17-23, 2014. According to the EPA, “household leaks can waste more than 1 trillion gallons of water annually nationwide.

Learn about the facts on leaks and the importance of leak detection and timely fixes.

Quick Facts on Water Leaks

From www.epa.gov:

  • An average household leaks can waste 10,000 gallons of water every year.
  • Ten percent of homes have leaks of at least 90 gallons of water per day.
  • Common leaks include toilet flappers, drippy faucets, and leaking valves.
  • Fixing leaks usually saves homeowners 10 % on water bills.
  • A showerhead leaking at 10 drips per minute will waste 500 gallons of water/year.
  • Older toilets can use 13,000 more gallons of water/year than a WaterSense model.
  • A 1/32nd of an inch sprinkler system leak can waste 6,300 gallons/month.

Learn more about water efficiency in this educational video here.

Local Events

Here are some local events going on for Fix a Leak Week Seattle.

Cascade Water Alliance

cascadeThe Cascade Water Alliance is bringing leak detection to Seattle classrooms and gardens. Students will get free shower timers and adults will leave gardening classes with free leak detection dye kits. Find local classes online.

Seattle Public Utilities

spuSeattle Public Utilites is working with Shoreline Public Schools with educational classes and leak detection challenges. Students who test for leaks at home can win pizza parties. Learn more about reducing water usage online.