The Public Utility Commission Thursday highlighted the importance of safe drinking water, along with the role of water efficiency and conservation efforts, in conjunction with National Fix a Leak Week, which runs from March 20-26.

As part of the annual Fix a Leak campaign, families across the country are encouraged to check their fixtures for leaks and consider the community and economic impact of wasted water.

“A little leak really does make a big difference. Annually, more than 1 trillion gallons of water leaks from U.S. homes – enough water to supply every family in Pennsylvania for almost a full year,” said Commissioner Robert F. Powelson. “Common leaks include running toilets due to worn flappers, dripping faucets, and leaking showerheads – all easily correctable and fixing these leaks can save homeowners about 10 percent on their water bills.”

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, an estimated 10 percent of all homes have leaks that waste 90 gallons or more per day, and the average household leaks can account for more than 10,000 gallons of water wasted every year.

Nationwide, leaks account for more than 1 trillion gallons of lost water per year – equal to the annual household water use of more than 11 million homes.

As part of Fix a Leak Week, Pennsylvanians are encouraged to identify and fix leaks around their homes.  The PUC and EPA offer the following tips:

-- Common types of leaks found in the home include worn toilet flappers, dripping faucets and other leaking valves.

-- Fixing easily corrected household leaks can help save about 10 percent on water bills.

-- Check your water meter before and after a two-hour period when no water is being used. If the meter does not read exactly the same, you probably have a leak.

-- A drop of food coloring added to the toilet tank is a quick and easy way to identify possible leaks. If the color shows up in the bowl within 10 minutes without flushing, you have a leak. Be sure to flush immediately after this experiment to avoid staining the tank.

-- A leaky faucet that drips at the rate of one drip per second can waste more than 3,000 gallons per year – enough water for 180 showers.

More tips for finding leaks and saving water are available on the EPA’s WaterSense website.

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[Posted: March 16, 2017]

3/20/2017