PUC Recognizes 2023 ‘Fix a Leak Week’
Published on 3/16/2023
Filed under: Water and Wastewater
HARRISBURG – The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) today highlighted the importance of water, including its safety, efficiency and conservation efforts in conjunction with National “Fix a Leak Week,” which is March 20-26, 2023.
The annual Fix a Leak campaign challenges households across the country to check their fixtures for leaks and consider the environmental and economic impact of wasted water.
“It is important to increase awareness and understanding of how big of a role water plays in supporting our communities,” said Ralph Yanora, PUC Commissioner and Co-Vice Chairman of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) Committee on Water, during the Public Meeting of March 16. “Conserving water starts in the home. The average household’s leaks can account for nearly 10,000 gallons of water wasted every year.”
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), an estimated 10% of all homes have leaks that waste 90 gallons or more per day.
As part of Fix a Leak Week, Pennsylvanians are encouraged to identify and fix leaks around their homes. The PUC and EPA offer the following tips:
- Review your water usage during a colder month, such as January or February. If a family of four exceeds 12,000 gallons per month, there are serious leaks.
- Check your water meter before and after a two-hour period when no water is being used. If the meter changes at all, you probably have a leak.
- Identify toilet leaks by placing a drop of food coloring in the toilet tank. If any color shows up in the bowl after 10 minutes, you have a leak. (Be sure to flush immediately after the experiment to avoid staining the tank.)
- Examine faucet gaskets and pipe fittings for any water on the outside of the pipe to check for surface leaks.
More tips for finding leaks and saving water are available on the EPA’s WaterSense website.
About the PUC
The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission balances the needs of consumers and utilities; ensures safe and reliable utility service at reasonable rates; protects the public interest; educates consumers to make independent and informed utility choices; furthers economic development; and fosters new technologies and competitive markets in an environmentally sound manner.
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