Be a Leak Seeker
If you think you may have a water leak, your water meter is your best detective.
- Turn off all faucets and water-using appliances, such as the dish and clothes washers.
- Locate your water meter.
- Note the position of the sweep hand, or use a marker on the lens cover to mark the position.
- Wait 20-30 minutes and check the sweep hand location again. If the sweep hand has moved, you probably have a leak somewhere in your system.
- Most meters have a red “telltale” indicator. If you see it moving when all water is off, you probably have a leak.
Looking For Leaks
- Your toilet may have a silent leak.
- Check for moist spots around and under the house plumbing and around outdoor plumbing.
- Drips, unseen or unfixed, they can drip hundreds, even thousands, of gallons of water wastefully down the drain.
Here is a handy chart to help you gauge just how much water you can lose when leaks occur.
| Estimated Water Loss Through Leaks (http://www.awwa.org/waterwiser/) | |||
| Number of Drips Per Minute | Gallons of Water Wasted Per Day | Gallons of Water Wasted Per Month | Gallons of Water Wasted Per Year |
| 10 | 1.5 | 43 | 526 |
| 30 | 4.3 | 130 | 1577 |
| 60 | 8.6 | 259 | 3154 |
| 120 | 17.3 | 518 | 6307 |
| 300 | 43.2 | 1,296 | 15,768 |
