Livingston 'Fix-a-Leak Week': Dripping Water May Be Costing You Money

LIVINGSTON, NJ — The following news release comes courtesy of the Township of Livingston. Find out how to post announcements or events to your local Patch site.

Livingston is recognizing Fix-a-Leak Week — Monday, March 17 through Sunday, March 23 — by sharing resources to help residents identify and repair household leaks. Fixing leaks could save residents 10 percent on their water bills, according to data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Fix-a-Leak Week is an annual, national event sponsored by the EPA’s WaterSense program. The purpose of the campaign is to provide resources to help Americans put a stop to the more than 1 trillion gallons of water wasted due to household leaks each year. Livingston is committed to water conservation and has been a WaterSense partner since 2016.

Water leaks can add up quickly. For example, a faucet leaking at one drip per second can waste over 3,000 gallons of water per year — the equivalent of more than 180 showers. The average household may waste almost 10,000 gallons per year due to leaks. As a WaterSense partner, Livingston encourages everyone to find and fix leaks in their homes; saving water that would be lost to leaks directly saves residents money.

“High water bills usually mean a leak, and potentially hundreds of gallons of water quite literally going down the drain,” stated Livingston Township Utility Engineer Nathan Kiracofe. “The Livingston Water Department provides step-by-step instructions for checking water leaks to help residents get to the source of a high bill. We encourage residents to visit livingstonnj.org/CheckForLeaks.”

The EPA recommends that homeowners read their water meter before and after a two-hour period when no water is being used. Any change in the meter indicates a possible leak. Winter is a good time to check water use; if a family of four exceeds 12,000 gallons per month in the winter, there are likely leaks in the home.

For those not sure where to start, the WaterSense website provides more information and step-by-step guides for reading and understanding a water meter, detecting indoor and outdoor leaks, and more. Visit www.epa.gov/watersense/fix-lea... to find these resources.

Worn toilet flappers are one common cause of leaks that can waste up to 200 gallons of water per day and increase the amount of a household’s water bill.

“We encourage residents to sign up for the My360 customer web portal at livingstonnj.org/My360,” said Kiracofe. “Using that portal, residents can monitor their water meter usage and identify potential excess consumption that may be a leak.”

“Livingston also has free ‘Toilet Leak Detection Tablets’ available for residents to pick up at the Public Works and Water Department counter on the second floor of Town Hall,” he continued. “The tablets make it easy to find leaks, which will help residents save money and avoid wasting water.”

To check for toilet leaks, put a leak detection tablet (or a few drops of food coloring) into the tank, wait 10 minutes, and then see if color appears in the bowl. Be sure to flush after using the dye to keep it from staining the toilet.

To help cut costs and save water for future generations, residents can check, twist, and replace:

• Check for leaks. Look for dripping faucets, showerheads, sprinklers, toilets, and other fixtures. Don’t forget to check irrigation systems and spigots too.
• Twist and tighten hose and pipe connections.
• Replace the fixture if necessary. If a new fixture is needed, consider looking for WaterSense labeled models.

To learn more about Livingston’s WaterSense partnership or register a WaterSense-Certified Smart Controller, visit livingstonnj.org/WaterSense.

For helpful hints on how to check for and fix leaks, educational activities for kids, and more information on how to save water, visit www.epa.gov/watersense.

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