Household Leaks Waste One Trillion Gallons Annually in US

Mr. Rooter
Published: March 15th, 2013

Mr. Rooter Plumbing recognizes National Fix a Leak Week with tips and tools.

Waco, TX (PRWEB) March 15, 2013 - The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) National Fix a Leak Week, celebrating its fifth anniversary, will be March 18-24. Mr. Rooter® Plumbing will be participating by offering an online tool to calculate the amount of water a home is wasting due to leaks that are not repaired in a timely manner.

According to the EPA, untreated leaks can add up to more than one trillion gallons of wasted water per year, equaling more than the combined annual water usage of Los Angeles, Chicago and Miami combined.

“Most people don’t realize that the little leak in their faucet is costing them a pretty penny and wasting a very valuable resource,” says Mary Kennedy Thompson, President of Mr. Rooter LLC. “Oftentimes, the leaks found in the home are fairly simple to correct. These include dripping faucets and leaking toilet flappers and valves.”

Mr. Rooter Plumbing offers these tips and tools to help alleviate the burdens a leak can cause:

• Check household water usage during winter months. If usage exceeds 12,000 gallons a month, it is possible there is a leak.
• Check the water meter. Block a two-hour timeframe where no water is being used in the home. If the meter reads differently from beginning to end, a leak may be present.
• If a faucet is leaking, replace the faucet washers and gaskets if they appear worn. Tighten loose showerheads.
• Running toilets can waste more than 200 gallons of water daily. A simple method for checking for leaks is placing one to three drops of food coloring in your toilet tank. After 15 minutes, if the water in the bowl has changed color, you have a leak. Old flappers are often the cause of these leaks. Replace any flappers that have decayed or retained mineral build-ups to alleviate this problem.
• An outdoor irrigation system should be checked annually, prior to use in the spring to ensure frost damage has not occurred. Call a local plumber or irrigation specialist for assistance.

“These simple tips can save a homeowner money and can save millions of gallons of water annually,” says Thompson. “All of our small efforts can lead to big change.”

For more information on Fix a Leak Week, visit: http://www.epa.gov/watersense/our_water/fix_a_leak.html

To access Mr. Rooter’s Drip calculator, visit: http://www.mrrooter.com/AskTheExpert/Drip%20Calculator.aspx

About Mr. Rooter®

Established in 1970, Mr. Rooter is an all-franchised, full-service plumbing and drain cleaning company with approximately 300 franchises worldwide. Recognized by Entrepreneur magazine among its “Franchise 500” and Franchise Times Top 200, Mr. Rooter franchisees provide services to both residential and commercial customers. Mr. Rooter began franchising in 1974 and is a subsidiary of The Dwyer Group, Inc. For more information or to find the location nearest you, please visit our Web site at http://www.mrrooter.com.

Contact:

Desirae J Franco
Mr. Rooter LLC
http://www.mrrooter.com
254-759-5894