News and Articles
03/16/2011
“Fix a Leak Week” Conservation Event on March 17, 2011
“Fix a Leak Week” Conservation Event
Santa Fe – March 16, 2011– Santa Fe County would like to remind residents about the “Fix a Leak Week” water conservation event Thursday, March 17 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Genoveva Chavez Community Center (GCCC), 3221 Rodeo Road to learn how to find leaks and save water. Santa Fe County, the City of Santa Fe, New Mexico Office of the State Engineer and local vendors will all be in attendance.
Local Vendors
• Big Jo Hardware
• Dahl Plumbing
• EPA WaterSense
• Ewing
• The Firebird
• Home Depot
• Living Water Irrigation & Landscape, LLC
Common types of leaks found inside and outside the home include dripping faucets or showerheads, leaky outdoor spigots, and broken sprinkler heads. According to the EPA website on average, leaks account for 11,000 gallons of water wasted per household every year, which equates to enough water to fill a backyard swimming pool.
By fixing these leaks, you can save water and money, which is why Santa Fe County is participating in the EPA’s WaterSense “Fix a Leak Week” and offering hands-on help with leak detection and water conservation. WaterSense is an EPA-sponsored partnership program that seeks to protect the future of our nation's water supply by promoting water efficiency and enhancing the market for water-efficient products, programs, and practices.
For more information, contact Santa Fe County Water Conservation Specialist, Laurie Trevizo, (505) 995-2718 or ltrevizo@santafecounty.org or visit www.epa.gov/watersense/fixaleak .
More on Checking for Leaks from the EPA website www.epa.gov
• To check for leaks in your home, first determine whether you are wasting water, then identify the source of the leak.
• Take a look at 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 15 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.