Are You Wasting Water?

Did you know that the average American household ends up wasting 10,000 gallons of water each year according to the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency)? That is enough water to do about 270 loads of laundry. If you think about that kind of average, across the country, household leaks could lead to more than 1 trillion gallons of water wasted. Take a breath, breathe that in, and let's take a look around where this mystery wasted water might be coming from.

You might be thinking that little faucet drip, or running toilet can't possibly add up to 10,000 gallons of water per year. If it's just the faucet, probably not - but how many faucets in your home are dripping? How many drips per minute? You could use the Mr. Rooter drip calculator to do a quick estimate. For example, a leaky faucet can easily waste 3,000 gallons of water per year. If your drip can fill an 8 ounce cup in one minute, that's over 32,000 gallons per year. We're pretty sure if you have a leak like that, you would have already called your local Mr. Rooter plumber, however many people might let a smaller leak go for months before finally trying to fix it themselves or giving us a call.

All of this wasted water, also equals wasted money - out of your pocket. The EPA's fact sheet also claims that 10% of homes waste 90 gallons or more of water per day (that would be that drip that fills the cup in one minute).

So where are you wasting water? Common areas where these little leaks spring up are faucets, shower heads, toilet flappers, and other household valves. Leaks are very common outdoors as well with any sprinkler or irrigation system (even the tiniest of cracks in your irrigation system can use more than 6,000 gallons of water per month) you might have set up for your garden or lawn. If you're unsure of a leak, the EPA recommends taking a look at the winter usage. If you have used more than 12,000 gallons of water per month for a family of four - you are exceeding during winter and it's likely your home has a leak somewhere. A much easier way to check water usage is check your water meter. Set a time when you are NOT going to use any water (flush the toilet, wash the dishes, or do some laundry). Check the meter before and after an allotted amount of time. If it changes, your house has a leak and you need to call your local plumber to help you find it.

So if you see that you have a leaky shower head (which can waste around 500 gallons per year), or maybe unexplained damp spot in your home - give us a call. While here in New York, we don't have the same drought problems as other areas, it doesn't mean we should waste water; or the money that you spend paying for that wasted water.

Have questions about a leak? Give us a call at : 315-472-1203. Follow us on Facebook for quick tips and special offers. 

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