The Lake Champlain Committee is joining with the EPA’s WaterSense Program to promote Fix a Leak Week. Fix a Leak Week encourages Americans to find and fix residential leaks and to help put a stop to the more than 1 trillion gallons of water wasted from household leaks each year. Leaks can also account for more than 10,000 gallons of water in an average home every year’enough water to wash nearly 10 months’ worth of laundry.
‘Conserving water saves money, saves energy, and helps reduce nutrient pollution in Lake Champlain’, notes LCC Executive Director Lori Fisher. ‘Letting a faucet run for five minutes uses about as much energy as letting a 60-watt light bulb run for 14 hours. Even a pin-hole size leak can waste 4,000 gallons a month!’
To help save water for future generations, the Lake Champlain Committee is asking consumers and businesses to take time during the coming week to improve water efficiency by finding and fixing leaks.
Check for leaks. Look for dripping faucets, showerheads, and fixture connections. Also check for toilets with silent leaks by putting a few drops of food coloring into the tank and seeing if it appears in the bowl before you flush.
Twist and tighten pipe connections. To save more water without a noticeable difference in flow, twist on a WaterSense labeled faucet aerator. Replace the fixture if necessary.
Replacing older, inefficient bathroom fixtures with WaterSense labeled toilets, faucets, and showerheads will save money in utility and electric bills and help the lake. WaterSense labeled models are independently tested and certified to use 20 percent less water and perform as well as or better than standard models.
In many cases, fixture replacement parts pay for themselves quickly and can be installed by handy do-it-yourselfers. For more complicated jobs, contact your favorite plumbing professional. Visit www.epa.gov/watersense to find WaterSense labeled products in your area.
For more information on the LCC, visit www.lakechamplaincommittee.org.
WaterSense a partnership program sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, seeks to protect the future of our nation's water supply by offering people a simple way to use less water with water-efficient products, new homes, and services. For more information on WaterSense, visit www.epa.gov/watersense