(PHILADELPHIA March 14, 2011) - American households waste in excess of one trillion gallons of water each year due to leaky pipes, toilets, showerheads and other fixtures, but fixing leaks can be easy and inexpensive. During the Fourth yearly Fix a Leak Week, March 12-18, the E.P.A.'s (EPA) WaterSense plan is educating Americans about the importance of fixing leaks around the home, which could save water and nearly ten percent on utility bills.
WaterSense's 2011 Manufacturer Partner of the Year, Delta Faucet Company and its partners are retrofitting in excess of 140 households in the Philadelphia-area including 2 Ronald McDonald Houses, with toilet flappers, faucet aerators and WaterSense labeled showerheads.
The average American home leaks in excess of 10,000 gallons of water per year, which is equivalent to the water needed to wash 280 loads of laundry, take in excess of 600 showers or meet the average family's water needs for a month.
"Fix a Leak Week is a time for us to highlight the benefits of finding and fixing residential leaks," said E.P.A. Regional Administrator Shawn M. Garvin. "So we're urging everyone to take 3 basic steps - check, twist and replace."
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Check for leaks. Toilet leaks can be found by putting a few drops of food coloring into the tank and seeing if color appears in the bowl before you flush. Don't forget to also check irrigation systems and spigots.
? Twist and tighten pipe connections. To save even more water without a noticeable difference in flow, twist on a WaterSense labeled faucet aerator or showerhead.
? Replace the fixture if necessary. Look for the WaterSense label when replacing plumbing fixtures, which are independently certified to use 20 percent less water and perform as well as or better than standard models.
Delta Faucet Company, in partnership with EPA, GreenPlumbers USA, United Way, Ronald McDonald House, and various local water utilities and governments, will fix leaks in in excess of 1,000 low-income households and community facilities in Boston, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Indianapolis, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, San Francisco and Seattle. Delta will fix leaky toilets and faucets, and install WaterSense labeled showerheads in each location, and estimates that these actions will save millions of gallons of water this year alone.
WaterSense, a partnership plan sponsored by EPA, looks for 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. Since the program's inception in 2006, WaterSense has helped consumers save 125 billion gallons of water and in excess of $2 billion in water and energy bills. Consumers can find WaterSense labeled products at thousands of retail locations across the country.
More information about finding and fixing leaks:
http://www.epa.gov/watersense/fixaleak.
More information on WaterSense or to find a retailer in your area that carries WaterSense-labeled products:
http://www.epa.gov/watersense.
