What Is Fix a Leak Week?

Because minor water leaks account for more than 1 trillion gallons of water wasted each year
in U.S. homes, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s WaterSense® program promotes
Fix a Leak Week the third week of March each year. Fix a Leak Week is an annual reminder to
Americans to check household plumbing fixtures and irrigation systems for leaks.

The Facts on Leaks:
• The average household’s leaks can account for more than 10,000 gallons of water wasted
every year, or the amount of water needed to wash 270 loads of laundry.
• Household leaks can waste more than 1 trillion gallons annually nationwide. That’s equal to
the annual household water use of more than 11 million homes.
• Ten percent of homes have leaks that waste 90 gallons or more per day.
• Common types of leaks found in the home include worn toilet flappers, dripping faucets, and
leaking showerheads. All are easily correctable.
• Fixing easily corrected household water leaks can save homeowners about 10 percent on
their water bills.
• Keep your home leak-free by repairing dripping faucets, toilet flappers, and showerheads. In
most cases, fixture replacement parts don’t require a major investment.
• Most common leaks can be eliminated after retrofitting a household with new WaterSense
labeled fixtures and other high-efficiency appliances.
Leak Detection:
• A good method to check for leaks is to examine your winter water use. It’s likely that a family of
four has a serious leak problem if its winter water use exceeds 12,000 gallons per month.
• Check your water meter before and after a two-hour period when no water is being used. If
the meter does not read exactly the same, you probably have a leak.
• One way to find out if you have a toilet leak is to place a drop of food coloring in the toilet
tank. If the color shows up in the bowl within 10 minutes without flushing, you have a leak.
Make sure to flush immediately after this experiment to avoid staining the tank.
Faucets and Showerheads:
• A leaky faucet that drips at the rate of one drip per second can waste more than 3,000 gallons
per year. That’s the amount of water needed to take more than 180 showers!
• Leaky faucets can be fixed by checking faucet washers and gaskets for wear and replacing
them if necessary. If you are replacing a faucet, look for the WaterSense label.
(866) WTR-SENS (987-7367) · www.epa.gov/watersense · watersense@epa.gov
Fix a Leak Week Fact Sheet