World Water Monitoring Day Can be An In-Home Activity
In recognition of World Water Monitoring Day on Sept. 18, American Leak Detection is offering some advice for keeping tabs on in-home water use.
"Your small investment of monitoring the water you consume can pay large dividends. For example, buying a low-flush toilet can save over 18,000 gallons of water a year. It takes all of us – both individuals and businesses – to save the Earth's resources," said Stan Berenbaum, president of American Leak Detection.
Berenbaum recommends the following advice:
- Check all faucets for drips. If a drip fills an 8-ounce glass every 15 minutes, it will lose about 180 gallons per month. That's equivalent to 2,160 gallons a year, enough for more than 30 showers or baths, Berenbaum said. Drips can usually be fixed by replacing inexpensive washers or valve seats.
- Install flow restrictors or other conservation devices on all faucets. With these in the shower alone, you can cut your water use from about 5 to 10 gallons per minute to as low as 1.4 to 3 gallons per minute.
- Wrap exposed indoor and outdoor pipes to prevent breakage in freezing weather.
- Check kitchen cupboards beneath the sink once a week for wet spots or bowed cabinetry.
- Keep drinking water in the refrigerator so you don't have to run the tap until the water gets cold enough to drink.
- Only run full loads in your dishwasher.
- Check grout and tiles in shower area. Are any loose? Is grout missing, allowing water to flow beneath the tiles?
- Check toilets for leaks. Drop a teaspoon of food coloring into the tank. If the color appears in the bowl after 15 minutes, have the "flapper" valve replaced.
- Replace older toilets with new ultra-low flush models or put water displacement devices inside every toilet tank. Make them from plastic water bottles weighted down with pebbles. Do not put bricks in your tank; they can dissolve and clog siphon jets.
For more information, visit www.AmericanLeakDetection.com.