American Leak Detection We fix leaks! In swimming pools, plumbing and irrigation equipment around your home. And, fixing a leak is an obvious and important way to save water.
But, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and other corporate, scientific and government sponsors around the world have designated September 18, 2010, as “World Water Monitoring Day” to focus attention on the importance of preserving one of our most critical resources – water – in both large and small ways.
Many of us take water for granted. After all, water covers about two-thirds of the earth’s surface, right? What’s the big deal? Well, according to the USGS, out of all that water, there’s only about one percent that’s usable by humans! And, we can’t make or produce new water. We have a finite supply to work with, so preserving that supply is something we all need to take very seriously.
Because most of the one percent of the world’s water that is available to us is contained in lakes and rivers, World Water Monitoring Day encourages people to take an active role in monitoring the water quality in their neighborhood streams, rivers, lakes and ponds. Schools, service organizations and concerned individuals strap on their waders or slip into their bathing suits and take water samples and other measurements to help determine the health of the world’s waterways. You can get involved here.
But, preservation of that “useful” water is also key to protecting our water resources. Here are some simple “checks and changes” from American Leak Detection you can implement in your own home to eliminate common water wasters:
Faucets
- Check for dripping faucets or shower valves. If a drip fills an 8-ounce glass in 15 minutes, the faucet will waste about 180 gallons of water per month, or 2,160 gallons a year. Simple fix: Try replacing the cartridge, washer or valve seat.
- Change to a low-flow faucet to save an average of 3.5 gallons per minute.
Toilets
- Check for leaks. Drop a teaspoon of food coloring in the toilet tank. If the color appears in the bowl in about 15 minutes, replace the flapper valve.
- Change to a low-flow toilet to save nearly 3.5 gallons per flush. To save even more, place an empty plastic water bottle filled with pebbles in the toilet tank as a simple water displacement device.
And, here are some handy tools you’ll find on our site to detect those “sneaky leaks” that can silently waste gallons of water each month.
Pool/Spa
- Check for constantly running auto-fill, increased use of chemicals and a high evaporation rate. All could indicate a pool leak. (Note: Normal evaporation is usually 1/8″ to 1/4″ with auto-fill off.)
- Tool: The Bucket Test and The Pool Leak Calculator – to determine if you have a leak and the rate of water loss, respectively, prior to contacting a professional like American Leak Detection.
Hidden Leaks
- Check for silent leaks. Often not thought of are hidden leaks the size of a pinhead in a service line underground or behind a wall, which can waste enough water annually to fill 12,000 bathtubs to the overflow mark. Monitor your water bill and usage monthly and annually.
- Tool: The Meter Test for homes – to determine if you may have a leak prior to calling an expert such as American Leak Detection.
Each action that you take may seem like just a drop in the bucket of worldwide conservation, but if everyone takes responsibility for detecting and stopping water-wasting leaks in their own homes, the savings will really create a big splash! Share our tips with your friends to begin to make a difference today.
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I agree we all need to start conserving water. I just replaced my fill valve in my toilet with a MJSI HydroClean fill valve and added a MJSI HydroRight dual flush kit. This kit will reduce the water used when flushing just liquids. It’s good to know that we are conserving water with every flush compared to before.
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