Did you know that an American home can waste, on average, more than 10,000 gallons of water every year due to running toilets, dripping faucets, and other household leaks? That adds up to more than 1 trillion gallons a year, nationwide.
Stopping obnoxious leaks is no small deal when it adds up to that kind of water savings! To remind Americans to check their plumbing fixtures and irrigation systems each year, WaterSense started Fix a Leak Week. This year it is March 12-18.
Not sure if you have leaks or how to fix them? Water agencies around the country have workshops, kids’ activities, giveaways and lots of other events planned to help you fix your leaks. You can also find tons of great resources on your local Fix A Leak Week website. (Check out these great DIY videos for identifying and fixing leaks.)
I’m proud to say Arizona goes all out for Fix A Leak Week. This Saturday (3/10) is the “One For Water” 4-Miler where runners chase a literally running toilet and top finishers receive pipe wrenches to fix their leaks. If you’ve ever had a nightmare where a 6 foot tall toilet is chasing you through the desert (come on, you know what I’m talking about), now is your chance to turn the tables on that giant toilet. After watching the promo video (above), I just had to sign up for the race.
It’s amazing how creative people get when it comes to conserving water. If you’re offering or attending any Fix A Leak Week events, let me know in the comments or on Twitter @MarGoH2O
The video is definitely worth watching (lots of my kind of humor). Last week my hotel room had a leaky flapper, but it was okay because the float to refill didn’t work either. Before every flush the float had to be unstuck, the tank would then fill with drinkable highly filtered tap water and then the toilet could be flushed. My personal belief is the flapper and the float were part of the local plumbers union and they were under a stop work order…just saying.
So did you fill your water bottle (or box?) straight from the tank?
I wasn’t considering commercial leaks when I wrote this, but now I’m curious how much hotels leak every year. I’m sort of afraid to find out…
Some of the fastest water losses through leaks in our community are through broken irrigation lines and valves. The City of Goodyear will hold an Irrigation Troubleshooting Class March 14, 6:30-8:30 p.m. at its Public Works Administration Building, 4980 S. 157th Avenue in recognition of Fix a Leak Week. Attendees will learn how to troubleshoot and fix the geysers in their back yards, and ponds and persistent wet spots in their yards. The class is free. Sign up at https://www.goodyearaz.gov/h2o365.
The City of Goodyear will also distribute leak detection tablets and information on irrigation system maintenance at Tres Rios Nature Festival March 9 and 10. The Festival will be held at Estrella Mountain Regional Park, Vineyard Road, Goodyear 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Music, wildlife, canoe rides, fishing, booths, and refreshments will be available. Parking $3.
Thanks for commenting, Sandra. I’ll share your link for City of Goodyear’s troubleshooting class on the ValleyCrest Arizona Facebook page to get the word out.
Team Ewing will have 16 employees participating including myself! Should be fun!
Good, then I’m going to draft off of your team, Warren!