EPA and Home Depot Offer Tips to Conserve Water, Save Money

From EPA:

EPA and Home Depot Offer Tips to Conserve Water, Save Money

(PHILADELPHIA – March 16, 2015) Officials from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and The Home Depot kicked off Fix a Leak Week today at The Home Depot store in South Philadelphia by demonstrating several simple, inexpensive improvements that can save money and conserve water by fixing leaky fixtures.

The average American family could be wasting more than 10,000 gallons of water every year due to running toilets, dripping faucets and other easy-to-fix household leaks – increasing a water bill by as much as 10 percent and wasting precious resources.

“Every year, American households let more than a trillion gallons of water go down the drain because of leaks,” said EPA Regional Administrator Shawn M. Garvin. “In addition to conserving water, fixing household leaks is a simple way to reduce energy usage and lower utility bills.”

Some simple steps to reduce water waste include:

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.

Twist: Fix dripping pipes, fixtures or hoses by using a wrench to twist and tighten the connections. If needed, pipe tape can help seal shower fixtures or hose connections. Check washers and valves for persistent drips. Remind everyone to turn faucets and showers off tightly.

Replace: For old or inefficient fixtures not easily repaired, look for WaterSense labeled models to replace them. WaterSense products are available in a variety of styles and price points at home improvement stores. These money-saving products are high performing and independently certified to use at least 20 percent less water. Look for the WaterSense label on product packaging or the website of your favorite plumbing brand. Many WaterSense partners also offer rebates for WaterSense labeled products.

WaterSense, an EPA partnership program seeks to protect the future of our nation's water supply by offering people a simple way to use less water with water-efficient products, new homes and services. The program helps consumers make smart water choices that save money and maintain high environmental standards without compromising performance. Since 2006 WaterSense has helped consumers save a cumulative 757 billion gallons of water and over $14.2 billion in water and energy bills.

Fix a Leak Week (March 16-22) is sponsored by EPA’s WaterSense Program. The Home Depot is one of more than 1,500 WaterSense partners across the country.