In honor of Earth Day on April 22nd, American Leak Detection is encouraging local residents to be aware of their water usage and potential leaks which may be hiding in their homes.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the amount of water leaking from U.S. homes has the potential to exceed more than 1 trillion gallons per year. That is equivalent to the annual water use of all Southern California from Los Angeles to San Diego.
There are simple ways you can check for leaks in your home, without calling a professional. These include:
Check your supply lines, leaky faucets, shower valves and washer valve sets throughout the house. Common issues can be located beneath the sinks, in the laundry room and in bathrooms.
Monitor any increases in your monthly water bill. Perform a meter test to confirm you have no water leaks. You can save more water and money than you expect:
Homeowners can save more than 3,000 gallons per year by fixing any leaky showerheads (one drip per second) and faucets. You can easily replace inexpensive valve sets and washers. Also make sure to tighten all connections to supply lines, angle stops and all other water connections with a wrench.
You can save 6,300 gallons per month by evaluating your irrigation and sprinkler system to ensure it was not damaged by earth movement or earthquakes. A leak as small as the thickness of a dime can result in significant water loss.
Save over 18,000 gallons per year by switching to a low-flush, water sense labeled toilet. A family of four could save $2,000 in water and wastewater bills over the toilet’s lifetime just by installing these, according to an EPA report.
Tags: ca-palm-springs