City promoting participation in Fix-A-Leak Week

SACHSE (March 12, 2019) In anticipation of the part of the year when residents will begin using their outdoor irrigation systems on a regular basis, Sachse officials are encouraging homeowners to detect any leaks at home and fix them.

                National Fix-A-Leak Week, sponsored by the EPA WaterSense program, is set for March 18-24 this year, a week when residents and homeowners are asked to be mindful of both the amount of water that is wasted, and the amount of money that they can save by eliminating the leaks.

                “Either conducting some very simple checks around the house or signing up for our My Water Advisor portal can have an impact on saving water and money,” says Finance Director Teresa Savage.  “Finding and eliminating leaks now will help get us ready for the irrigation season, when the leaks may be harder to detect.”

National statistics reveal that, every year, leaks inside homes can account for as much as 10,000 gallons of water.  That’s about equal to the amount of water a family normally uses in a month.  In some cases, studies indicate that up to ten percent of homes that have undetected or unrepaired leaks waste up to 90 gallons a day.  

                The most common types of leaks found in the home are worn toilet flappers, dripping faucets, and other leaking valves. These types of leaks are often easy to fix, requiring only a few tools and hardware that can pay for themselves in water savings.

“A quick and easy way to save up to ten percent on water bills is to detect and fix household water leaks,” said Savage.  “Our message to residents during Fix-A-Leak Week is to be proactive.  Our hope is that it becomes a year-round habit for everyone.”

To check for leaks in homes, homeowners first need to determine whether water is being wasted and then identify the source of the leak.

Here are some tips for finding leaks:

• Before the irrigation season begins, residents should monitor water usage.  Generally, if a family of four exceeds 12,000 gallons per month, there may be one or more leaks in the system.
• Water meters can be checked before and after a two-hour period when no water is being used. If the meter changes at all, there is probably a leak somewhere.
• Toilet leaks can be identified by placing a drop of food coloring in the toilet tank. If any color shows up in the bowl after 10 minutes, a leak is the cause.  Toilet should be flushed immediately after the experiment to avoid staining the tank.
• Faucet gaskets and pipe fittings should be checked for any water on the outside of the pipe indicating surface leaks.

“Finding and fixing household leaks before we get into the watering season is an important part of getting ready,” she added.  “And, as we get closer to the summer, we will also want to have our irrigation systems checked thoroughly.” 

Signing up for the free My Water Advisor portal is quick and easy by visiting http://cityofsachse.com/633/My-Water-Advisor-Consumption-Portal.   Sachse is an EPA WaterSense partner.  See our website for more information on WaterSense: https://www.cityofsachse.com/civicalerts.aspx?aid=848.

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