Drip, drip, drip… don’t let that be the sound of your hard-earned money going down the drain!
Water leaks within your home may be more common than you think, and CRD’s annual Fix a Leak Week is meant to encourage residents to be mindful of just that.
From March 14th to March 20th, CRD wants to remind you to look for leaks around your house, in hopes to avoid water loss and save on your bill.
According to Glenn Harris, Senior Manager of the CRD’s Environmental Protection team, household leaks represent 14% of indoor water use—which adds up to a lot of drinking water waste (and high water bills) for many homes in the capital region.
Harris also notes that toilets are usually the biggest culprit, and may leak silently from a worn or misaligned part.
A toilet that continues to run after flushing could be wasting 20-40 litres of water an hour—that’s enough to fill a swimming pool over the course of a year!
Luckily for residents of the capital region, CRD is offering free leak detection kits that include dye tablets to check for toilet leaks, a faucet aerator, a shower bag to measure flows and a household water efficiency guide.
The free kits can be picked up from March 14th to March 21st at locations across the region, find a complete list here.
In the mean time, here are 4 simple tips to help you save on your water bill this spring:
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Check your toilet for silent leaks using a dye tab, found in the free leak detection kits. Add a dye tab to the toilet tank, wait 10 minutes without flushing. If there is colour in the bowl, you have a leak.
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Look for worn washers and “o” rings inside the showerhead and faucet. A leaky showerhead may also need a tighter connection between the showerhead and the pipe system, and can be fixed with pipe tape to secure it.
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Know the location of your main water shut-off in case of an emergency water leak.
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Check your irrigation system for leaks. A cracked pipe or misaligned sprinkler can be wasting precious drinking water.
For more info, including more leak detection tips, visit the CRD online.
