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NEEF: Be a leak detective

The average American family can waste more than 10,000 gallons of water every year from easy-to-fix household leaks.

<p>Water leak. (Photo: Thinkstock/Getty Images)</p>

The average American family can waste more than 10,000 gallons of water every year from easy-to-fix household leaks. That’s the amount of water it takes to wash 270 loads of laundry!

During Fix a Leak Week—March 20-26—the US Environmental Protection Agency is encouraging everyone to be a leak detective by looking for clues to find and fix leaks at home. Start searching in the following places:

  • Your utility bill: If you are a family of four using more than 12,000 gallons of water in January or February, you probably have a leak.
  • Faucets and showerheads: Check for drips and tighten their connections.
  • Hoses and sprinkler heads: Tighten those spigot connections and check your sprinkler system for leaks that could hurt your lawn and your water bill.
  • Toilets: To find a silent leak, put a few drops of food coloring in the tank and wait 10 minutes before you flush. If color appears in the bowl, you have a leak!


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Republished with permission from NEEF: https://www.neefusa.org/nature/water/be-leak-detective

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