How Americans can stop wasting a trillion gallons of water
Every year, more than one trillion gallons of water go down the drain because of household leaks. There’s a financial waste as well; leaks may increase a water bill by as much as 10 percent. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) WaterSense program encourages consumers to celebrate the seventh annual Fix a Leak Week this week by finding and fixing water leaks in their homes. Annually, the average American family could be wasting more than 10,000 gallons of water — enough for 270 loads of laundry — due to easy-to-fix leaks. Since 2006 WaterSense has helped consumers save a cumulative 757 billion gallons of water and over $14.2 billion in water and energy bills.
Check: Look at your water meter, usually located outside your house, before and after a two-hour period of no water use. If the number changed, there is likely a leak, which could be as simple to fix as replacing a worn rubber flapper in the toilet tank.