Let’s all do our part to fix leaks, save water and money!

Become a water saving hero!

Courtesy of: http://home.howstuffworks.com/home-improvement/plumbing/how-to-repair-a-faucet1.htm

Nearly all faucet leaks are caused by a worn rubber washer at the bottom of the faucet. Repairing this leak can be completed in less than 30 minutes. If you have leaking faucets in your home you should know that leaking faucets contribute to our current drought problem and you can easily remedy the issue by following these simple steps.

 WHAT YOU’LL NEED

• Screwdriver
• Penetrating oil
• Slip-joint pliers or adjustable wrench
• Replacement washers

STEPS

1. Turn off the water.
2. Remove the handle.
3. Remove the packing nut.
4. Remove the stem form the body of the faucet.
5. Find the wahser at the bottom of the stem.
6. Unscrew the washer and replace it with the matching size (Replacing the old with the new)
7. Attach new wahser to stem for the repair.
8. Install stem back into the faucet.
9. Tighten packing but.
10. Attach handle.
11. Turn on water.
12. Test for leaks.

Watch this step-by-step video to learn how to fix a leaky faucet.  Courtesy of: Saving Water Partnership Seattle and participating water utilities
http://www.seattlechannel.org/misc-video?videoid=x25570

How much water can you save?

• Up to 570 gallons per year with efficient faucets or faucet aerators.
• 7 gallons per day, per person by turning off the tap while brushing your teeth or shaving.
• How to choose a water-saving bathroom faucet.
• Look for WaterSense faucets, which are certified by the EPA to use no more than 1.5 gallons per minute (gpm). The WaterSense seal of approval is your guarantee of water-saving efficiency.
• Standard bathroom faucets use 2.2 gpm, almost 50% more than WaterSense faucets.
• Replace your old aerators with efficient aerators
• If you’re not ready to replace your faucets, consider fitting them with high-efficiency aerators. Efficient bathroom aerators flow at 0.5-1.5 gpm, saving water while providing a steady stream.

Did you know:

• 13% off water used in a household comes from leaks.
• Leaks waste thousands of gallons of water and cost a typical household hundreds of dollars per year.
• Fixing leaks is a very easy way to save money on water bills.
• Bonus: save water for salmon and other wildlife.
• 70% of water is used in doors.
• The typical family of four can use 400 gallons of water every day. On average, approximately 70 percent of that water is used indoors.
• The typical household retrofitted with water-efficient fixtures and appliances can save 30,000 gallons of water per year.

Other water saving tips:

• Older toilets use between 3.5 and 7 gallons of water per flush. By switching to a newer water-efficient toilet you can use 30 to 80 percent less water.
• Older washing machines use between 27 and 54 gallons of water per load. Today’s standard machines use 23 gallons per load. By switching to a newer, energy- and water-conserving model (front-loading or top-loading, non-agitator ones), you can use less than 15 gallons per load.
• Not rinsing dishes prior to loading the dishwasher could save up to 10 gallons per load.