Free Workshop on Friday!
The free Fix a Leak Week Lunch and Learn Workshop is at noon on Friday at the Gary Halter Nature Center. Bring your lunch and learn how to read your water meter and utility bill, get tips on finding and fixing water leaks, and receive a free copy of the Practical Plumbing Handbook (while supplies last).
The program is free and open to people 18 and older. For more information, call 979-764–6216.
By Jennifer Nations, Water Resource Coordinator
Every day is a good day to find and fix leaks, and as part of Fix a Leak Week, the City of College Station and the EPA WaterSense program offer some valuable, easy-to-follow tips to fix costly leaks and save water.
If you’re wondering if fixing leaks is worth it, consider this: about 10% of households have leaks that waste 90 gallons of water each day. That may not sound like much, but nationwide, household leaks add up to ONE TRILLION – that’s trillion with a t – gallons annually. That equals the average water usage of 11 million homes!
Here are some ways you can be a leak detective:
- Check all your faucets and showerheads for leaks.
- Check the leak indicator on your water meter. If it’s moving and no water is being used, you have a leak.
- Place dye tablets or food coloring in your toilet tank and don’t flush. After 10 minutes, if you see color in the toilet bowl, you have a leak. The culprit is typically the flapper that allows water to flow from the tank into the bowl.
- Examine your monthly water bill. Did you use more than seven thousand gallons in January or February? Since about half of all irrigation water is wasted due to inefficient systems and leaks, you may benefit from a free landscape irrigation check-up from Water Services. The quick and easy service shows you how to spot irrigation leaks, improve efficiency, and reduce water use.
- If you suspect a water line leak, report it to Utility Dispatch at 855-528-4278 or use SeeClickFix.
By finding and fixing leaks, you could trim 10% or more off your water and sewer bill!
About the Blogger
Jennifer Nations has been the City of College Station’s water resource coordinator since 1999 after two years as BVSWMA’s environmental compliance officer. She’s also chair of the Water Conservation and Reuse Division for the Texas Section of the American Water Works Association. A native of Fremont, Calif., Jennifer earned a bachelor’s degree in environmental & resource science from UC-Davis in 1995 and a master’s degree in water management & hydrologic science from Texas A&M in 2016.
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