By Staff Reports
(LIHUE) – The Department of Water (DOW) is encouraging all water users to find and fix residential leaks during the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) annual “Fix a Leak Week” from Monday, March 16 through Friday, March 20.
As part of the EPA’s WaterSense program, this year’s Fix a Leak Week encourages Americans to help put a stop to the more than 1 trillion gallons of water wasted from household leaks each year.
“Leaks can account for more than 10,000 gallons of water in an average home every year – the amount of water it takes to wash 270 loads of laundry,” said Kirk Saiki, DOW manager and chief engineer. “As a WaterSense partner, we are encouraging consumers to find and fix leaks in order to save water in our community and protect our most precious resource.”
Photo by the Department of Water
The Department of Water (DOW) will be giving away free leak detection starter kits during EPA’s Fix a Leak Week from March 16 to March 20. Pictured above is the DOW’s Edie Ignacio-Neumiller, Kim Tamaoka and Joel Bautista.
During Fix a Leak Week, the DOW is giving away free leak detection starter kits at their office located at 4398 Pua Loke Street, in Lihue. The DOW’s office hours are Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. Starter kits will include three toilet leak detection dye tablets, two low-flow kitchen faucet aerators and two low-flow showerheads. Kits will be limited to one per household and available while supplies last.
To help save water for future generations, the DOW is encouraging consumers to follow these three simple steps: Check. Twist. Replace.
- Check for leaks. Look for dripping faucets, showerheads, sprinklers and other fixtures. For toilets, put a few drops of food coloring or a dye tablet into the tank and wait 10 minutes. If any color appears in the bowl, your toilet has a leak. Don’t forget to also check irrigation systems and outdoor spigots. Examine your lawn for wet spots where grass seems greener. This could indicate a broken underground pipe. If you find a leak, have it repaired as soon as possible.
- Twist and tighten hose and pipe connections. For additional savings, twist on a low-flow aerator to each faucet to save water without noticing a difference in flow.
- Replace the fixture if necessary. Look for WaterSense labeled models, which are independently certified to use 20 percent less water and perform as well as or better than standard models.
In many cases, fixture replacement parts pay for themselves quickly and can be installed by handy do-it-yourselfers or local plumbing professionals. Irrigation professionals can also check your systems for leaks.
Water loss can be significantly reduced on Kauai if all residents check their plumbing fixtures for leaks during EPA’s Fix a Leak Week, March 16 to March 20, and frequently all year long.
For more information on Fix a Leak Week, visit www.epa.gov/watersense or call the Department of Water at 245-5455.
For more water saving and leak detection tips, visit www.kauaiwater.org or follow the Department of Water on Facebook at www.facebook.com/KauaiDOW and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/kauaiwater.