It may not seem like much, but the water saved by turning off the faucet when brushing your teeth or by taking a slightly shorter shower can lead to hundreds of gallons and dollars saved in the long run.
The following tips will help identify leaks and changes to make in your home:
• Toilets can be a culprit for silent leaks because they usually go undetected. Carefully remove the toilet tank and put a few drops of food coloring in the tank and wait about 20 to 30 minutes. Make sure no one uses the toilet during this test. If the color seeps into the toilet bowl, there is a leak. Since there are multiple pieces inside the bowl that can be causing the leak you may want to replace all of the inner components of the toilet. Most local hardware stores sell the entire kit for less than $20.
• Grab a wrench and fix leaky faucets. Don’t forget to check outside faucets to ensure there are no leaks.
• Install a low-flow showerhead. There are some models that come with a temperature sensor. When the optimum temperature is reached, the water from the showerhead will slow to a trickle. When you are ready to get into the shower, you pull a cord and the showerhead resumes to normal flow. This will save water and electricity.