Water leaks cost you money — money that essentially goes down the drain. There are several things that consumers can do to conserve water and at the same time save money on their bill.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), household leaks can waste more than 1 trillion gallons of water annually nationwide. The average household’s leaks can account for more than 10,000 gallons of water wasted every year, or the amount of water needed to wash 270 loads of laundry. About 10 percent of the homes have leaks that waste 90 gallons or more of water per day. The EPA estimates that fixing easily corrected household water leaks can save homeowners about 10 percent on their water bills.
To help consumers find and repair easy-to-fix leaks and to promote conservation, the Missouri Public Service Commission is supporting the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Fix-a- Leak Week, March 17-23, 2014.
“Water is essential to our existence. It is vitally important that we do all that we can to preserve this critical resource,” said PSC Chairman Robert Kenney. “Fixing water leaks will not only save money on water bills, it will also help conserve water for future generations to enjoy.”
According to the EPA, a good method to check for leaks is to examine your winter water usage. It is likely that a family of four has a serious water leak problem if its winter water use exceeds 12,000 gallons per month.
Here are some tips to save water:
— Check for leaks. Silent toilet leaks can be found by putting a few drops of food coloring into the tank and seeing if color appears in the bowl before you flush. Don’t forget to check irrigation systems and spigots, too.
— Twist and tighten pipe connections.
— Replace the fixture if necessary.
— Install a water saving showerhead; they use one-third the amount of water that a regular showerhead uses.
— Turn off the tap while shaving or brushing teeth.
— Keep drinking water in the refrigerator instead of letting the faucet run until the water is cool.
For more tips, visit our website at www.psc.mo.gov