PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) - During its annual Fix a Leak Week, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is reminding homeowners they can save about 10% on water bills by repairing leaks in their homes. Some leaks, like a constant drip from a sink pipe, are obvious and can cause significant water loss, not to mention damage. “If a leak is undetected for a long time, this is exactly what’s going to happen,” Mike Donley of Donley AC & Plumbing explained while showing us under a sink. “The wood gets soaked. The flooring gets ruined. Typically, the cabinets get ruined or the drywall.”
Other leaks might be a lot less noticeable. Maybe it’s your toilet. You can check by putting a couple of drops of food coloring into the tank. “If it leaks through into the bowl, then you know your flapper is not sealing,” Donley said.
↗ EPA Guide to Outdoor Leaks
Drips from a showerhead are common, as well. “A lot of us will put up with a leaky faucet or leaky shower, but the EPA says a shower that is dripping 10 drops a minute wastes up to 500 gallons of water a year,” Donley said. That’s wasted water -- and money right down the drain. According to the EPA, the average household’s leaks amount to about 10,000 gallons of water every year. Nationwide, it adds up to 1 trillion gallons of water wasted. “It adds up quick!” Donley said.
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