How do I know if I have a water leak?

How do you know if you have a leak? 1. Walk through your house and listen for running toilets and look for drippy faucets. 2. To tell if your toilet has a leak, place a drop of food coloring in the tank. If the color shows in the toilet bowl without flushing, you have a leak. 3. Check your winter water use. It’s likely a family of four has a serious leak if winter water use exceeds 36,000 gallons per quarter. 4. If you are unsure whether you have a leak, read your water meter before and after a two-hour period when no water is being used. If the meter changes, you probably have a leak. What can you do? 1. Replace products in your home with WaterSense-labeled plumbing fixtures. Environmental Protection Agency estimates a family of four can save more than $90 per year in reduced water and sewer utility bills by replacing older toilets (1994 or earlier) with WaterSense models. Products bearing the WaterSense label: • Perform as well or better than their less efficient counterparts. • Are 20 percent more water efficient than average products in that category. • Realize water savings on a national level. • Provide measurable water savings results. • Achieve water efficiency through several technology options. • Are effectively differentiated by the WaterSense label. • Obtain independent, third-party certification. 2. Grab a wrench or contact your favorite handy person to address leaking toilets, faucets, and other plumbing fixtures around your home. A leaky faucet that drips at the rate of one drip per second can waste more than 3,000 gallons per year. That’s enough water to flush a WaterSense labeled toiled for six months.