Fort Collins Utilities Announces Fix a Leak Week, March 18-24
Posted on: Mar-12-2013
To encourage Americans to help put a stop to more than 1 trillion gallons of water wasted from leaks each year, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s WaterSense Program is sponsoring Fix a Leak Week.A recent study of residential water use in Fort Collins found on average residents lose about 9,000 gallons a day to household leaks. As the City faces water supply challenges and restrictions, identifying and repairing leaks will help us save our precious water. Periodically check your toilets, faucets, showerheads, dishwasher, clothes washer, hot water heater, garden hoses and sprinkler system.
A dripping faucet, commonly caused by worn washers and gaskets, wastes approximately 3 gallons a day and is usually easy to repair. Leaky toilets are often silent and can easily go undetected. To check for silent leaks, add a few drops of food coloring to the toilet tank and wait 15 minutes before flushing. If dye appears in the bowl, there is a leak. Flush immediately to avoid staining the tank. Toilet leaks are typically the result of a worn toilet flapper, an inexpensive and relatively easy part to replace.
When you’re ready to replace household fixtures, look for WaterSense labeled models. Learn about rebates for purchasing new and recycling old toilets at https://www.fcgov.com/toilet-rebates.
For more information and details on how to repair leaks, visit http://epa.gov/watersense, call (970) 221-6700, email utilities@fcgov.com or TDD (970) 224-6003.
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Laurie D’Audney, Water Conservation Specialist
- 970.221.6877
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