Fix a Leak Week

Your participation in Fix a Leak Week could help nip those drips and create serious water savings.

Here's how to identify and address leaks around your home:

• Check your water meter before and after a two-hour period when no water is being used. If the meter changes at all, you probably have a leak.

• To determine if you have a leak, now is a great time to check water usage. If a family of four exceeds 12,000 gallons per month in the winter, you probably have leaks!

• Search for toilet leaks by placing a drop of food coloring in the toilet tank. If any color shows up in the bowl without flushing first, you have a leak. (Be sure to flush immediately to avoid staining the tank.)

• If you decide it's time for a new commode or faucet, look for WaterSense labeled products, which use 20 percent less water and perform as well or better than standard models. The vast majority of leaks can be eliminated after retrofitting a household with new WaterSense labeled fixtures and other high-efficiency appliances.