City of Santa Fe
Water Conservation Office

Fix a Leak Week

Sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) WaterSense program, March 15 to 21, 2010, is an opportunity to improve the water efficiency of your home by checking for and fixing leaks, which waste an average of more than 11,000 gallons of water per home each year. That's enough water to fill up a backyard swimming pool!

Get Involved

Fix a Leak Week is March 15 to 21, 2010. Grab a wrench or contact your favorite handy person or plumber to address leaking toilets and faucets around your home. Visit the WaterSense Web site to learn more.

Identify and address leaks around your home:

• A good method to check for leaks is to examine your winter water usage. It's likely that a family of four has a leak problem if its winter water use exceeds 6,000 gallons per month or if a peak usage shows up compared to previous months.
• One way to find out if you have a toilet leak is to place a few drips of food coloring in the toilet tank. If the color shows up in the bowl within 15 minutes without flushing, you have a leak.
• If you decide it's time for a new toilet or faucet, look for WaterSense labeled products, which use 20 percent less water and perform as well or better than standard models. Most common leaks can be eliminated after retrofitting a household with new WaterSense labeled fixtures and other high-efficiency appliances.
• An irrigation system should be checked each spring before use to make sure it was not damaged by frost or freezing.

The Facts on Leaks:

• Leaks can account for, on average, more than 11,000 gallons of water wasted in the home every year, which is enough to fill a backyard swimming pool.
• The amount of water leaked from U.S. homes could exceed more than one trillion gallons per year. That's equivalent to the annual water use of Los Angeles, Chicago, and Miami combined.
• Ten percent of homes have leaks that waste 90 gallons or more per day.
• Common types of leaks found in the home include leaking toilet flappers, dripping faucets, and other leaking valves. All are easily correctable.
• Fixing easily corrected household water leaks can save homeowners more than 10 percent on their water bills.
• Keep your home leak-free by repairing dripping faucets, toilet valves, and showerheads. In most cases, fixture replacement parts don't require a major investment.
• Most common leaks can be eliminated after retrofitting a household with new WaterSense labeled fixtures and other high-efficiency appliances.
• A leaky faucet that drips at the rate of one drip per second can waste more than 3,000 gallons per year.
• A showerhead leaking at 10 drips per minute wastes more than 500 gallons per year. That's enough water to wash 60 loads of dishes in your dishwasher.
• If your toilet is running constantly, you could be wasting 200 gallons of water or more every day.

Simple Repairs:

• Leaky faucets can be fixed by checking faucet washers and gaskets for wear and replacing them if necessary. If you are replacing a faucet, look for the WaterSense label.
• Most leaky showerheads can be fixed by ensuring a tight connection using teflon tape and a wrench.
• If your toilet is leaking, the cause is most often an old, faulty toilet flapper. Over time, this inexpensive rubber part decays, or minerals build up on it. It's usually best to replace the whole rubber flapper--a relatively easy, inexpensive do-it-yourself project that pays for itself in no time.
• If you do need to replace the entire toilet, look for the WaterSense label and save an additional 20 percent more than a low flow toilet. Click here for information on City of Santa Fe rebates.
• Check your garden hose for leaks at its connection to the spigot. If it leaks while you run your hose, replace the nylon or rubber hose washer and ensure a tight connection to the spigot using pipe tape and a wrench.
• To ensure that your in-ground irrigation system is not leaking water, consult with a WaterSense irrigation partner who has passed a certification program focused on water efficiency; visit WaterSense Partners for a complete list of irrigation partners.

Did you know that the average American uses 100 gallons of water every day? But we can all reduce our water use by as much as 35 percent by taking a few simple steps, such as installing high-efficiency plumbing fixtures and using water efficiently in our yards. Did you know that most landscapes receive four to ten times more water than they can use?

The City of Santa Fe is committed to protecting the future of our national and local water supply through water-efficient practices, products, and services. That is why we are partnering with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to bring to you WaterSense, a national program that offers people a simple way to make product choices that use less water—and perform as well or better than your existing products.

• Using water efficiently will conserve supplies for future generations.
• Protecting and preserving the nation’s water supply is critical to our economic future and human health.
• WaterSense labeled products and services offer equivalent or superior performance.
• Purchasing WaterSense labeled products can help you protect the environment and help you save money on utility bills.

Thirsty for knowledge?

Learn about water at EPA's WaterSense for Kids.

Think you know everything there is to know about water? You can’t be sure until you’ve played EPA’s new “Test Your WaterSense” online quiz! Maneuver the hero Hydro through water pipes and answer water-efficiency questions while avoiding water-wasting monsters such as Sogosaurus and Drainiac.

WaterSense Labeled Products

Stay tuned as WaterSense labeled products become available at a store near you! EPA will post qualified products on its Web site such as a WaterSense labeled high-efficiency toilet. Find a Product.

Learn More

What is water efficiency? Learn about the benefits of water efficiency and find links to related resources and state programs.