Do You Know the High Cost of Water Leaks?

What Can I Do to Reduce Them?

We recently helped a client whose water bills were insanely high.To her surprise and relief, it was a leak in her toilet, and an easy fix. Are your water bills creeping upward? Do you know where your main shut off valve is for your water? Do you know what to do in case of a pipe breakage or leak? The statistics are a bit alarming, but the problems generally are easily found and repairable. The key, as with many home repairs, is to be aware, be prepared and be proactive.

The amount of water wasted every year is truly appalling. In these time of cyclic drought and global warming, our water is a precious resource. Approximately 5 to 10 percent of American homes have water leaks that drip away 90 gallons a day or more! Many of these leaks reside in old fixtures such as leaky toilets and faucets. In fact, water lost by these leaky residences could be reduced by more than 30,000 gallons if new, efficient fixtures were installed. If the 5 percent of American homes that leak the most corrected those leaks-it could save more than 177 billion gallons of water annually! Yikes!

If all inefficient toilets in U.S. homes were converted to Low flow labeled models, we could save more than 640 billion gallons of water per year-the equivalent to 15 days of flow over Niagara Falls. Fixing easily corrected household water leaks can save homeowners more than 10 percent on their water bills. If you don’t feel you’re up to it, call someone like us to do it for you.

More alarming statistics:

About 70% of the typical family’s indoor water usage is in the bathroom. This is partly because water is used at a faster “flow rate” in the bathroom than in any other part of the home. Toilets and showers usually have a flow rate of 5-7 gallons per minute; most dishwashers and clothes washers use less than three gallons per minute.

Toilet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 to 7 gallons per flush (Non high-efficiency toilet)

Shower . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 to 7 gallons per minute (Non high-efficiency shower)

Bathtub . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 to 60 gallons per bath

Dishwasher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 to 25 gallons per cycle

Washing machine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 to 45 gallons per load

What can YOU do? First thing to do is to check your meter. Write down the numbers, and verify them with your current bill. The numbers should be near or GREATER than the numbers on your bill. If the numbers are lower than those shown on your bill, contact your water department; the meter may have been misread.

Meter not the problem? It is time to play detective! We have developed our own personalized Whole House Water Leak Testing Service. Designed and devised to check all the water-producing areas of your home, we can pinpoint the source(s) of leaks, and help you take steps to stop them. Contact us today, 925-432-7570 and let’s work together to get your high bills lowered!

Leaks not the problem? Then usage is. Practicing conservation in water use is both economically sound and ecologically appreciated! Water conservation has become an essential practice in all regions, even in areas where water seems abundant. In addition to saving money, conserving our water resources helps prevent water pollution in nearby lakes, rivers and local watersheds. It is important, for all of us! Sign up now, using our coupon, for your own Whole House Water Leak Testing, and receive our brief report, prepared to give you ideas on how and where to conserve water in your own home and yard.

A popular saying when we were teens, found on bumper stickers and pins, was “Save Water, Shower with a Friend!” We all laughed, but that was the 1960’s and 1970’s, and now we are homeowners, parents, grandparents and stewards of the Earth, it is time to pay attention, rather than paying the piper! Join us in our conservation efforts.