Testing for leaks
You can easily determine if you have a leak by reading your water meter. It is usually located in your basement near an outside wall, or near your furnace or hot water heater, or under a sink or in a utility closet in a slab home. To check for leaking, turn off all of the water fixtures and make sure no one is using any water. Reading the numbers from left to right and dropping the last 2 digits on the right that are calculating your gallons, record the meter reading on the dial. After an hour or so of not using any water, read the meter again. If there is a change in the reading, you have a leak. If your meter has a red low flow indicator, you can quickly identify a leak by just checking to see if it is spinning when you know the water is turned off.
Common Culprits:
- Toilet leaks are most common cause of wasted water. To check your toilet for leaks, simply remove the tank lid and drop in either leak detection tablets or several drops of food coloring. Wait 10 minutes. If the colored water appears in the bowl, you have a leak. Toilet repair and replacement kits are available at the local hardware store or contact your plumber for assistance.
- Faucets or showerheads may have small drips which can result in hundreds of gallons of water being wasted each year. Check each fixture to see if it is dripping. Most faucet or showerhead leaks are due to worn washers which can easily be replaced. Use the Drip Calculator to find out how much water is wasted each day.
Water Conservation Information
