Did you know the average household might leak about 10,000 gallons of water per year? That amounts to about one trillion gallons of wasted water nationwide. It seems appropriate to share since it’s Fix a Leak Week (March 14-20). This is an annual event that encourages homeowners to find and fix leaks inside and outside their homes. Fixing them not only saves water, but it also saves money.

Local water utilities are celebrating or recognizing "Fix a Leak Week" in different ways.

Birmingham Water Works is offering a free toilet flapper replacement kit. According to the Metropolitan North Georgia Water Planning District, "one trillion gallons of water are wasted annually nationwide because of household leaks." Toilet leaks can usually be remedied by replacing the flapper. For those that don't know, a toilet flapper is the odd-shaped rubber device inside a toilet's water tank. As they age, they lose their seal, which leads to leaks.

Concord (New Hampshire) General Services is offering free toilet leak dye test kits, which can help identify if a toilet is leaking. People can put a strip of dye in the water tank. If the water color in the toilet bowl changes, the toilet is leaking. If the water remains clear, there is no leak. 

The South Tahoe (California) Public Utilities Department is holding several events throughout the week where they will hand out WaterSense materials, give away products and host a trivia night.

Visit the Household Leaks page on DrinkTap for more information.