Pick up your free leak-detection toilet tablets for Fix a Leak Week

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s WaterSense program announces its annual Fix a Leak Week campaign, as a reminder that responsible water use includes identifying and repairing leaks in household plumbing fixtures and irrigation systems.

Fix a Leak Week is celebrated this year from March 18-24 but the Department of Water is honoring the campaign throughout the month.

“Every household can be a successful participant of Fix a Leak Week by simply checking household plumbing fixtures for leaks,” said Joe Tait, DOW’s Manager and Chief Engineer. “Most leaks can be easily corrected and don’t require a major investment, while the impact on water efficiency is tremendous.”

In conjunction with Fix a Leak Week, the county has partnered with M. Tanaka Store (commonly referred to as Tanaka Hardware Store) to offer free, leak detection toilet tablets to customers throughout the entire month of March, while supplies last.

M. Tanaka Store is located at 2974 Kalena St. in Līhu‘e, and is open Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturdays from 8 a.m. to noon.

Additionally, the Department of Water is offering free, leak detection toilet tablets at its Līhu‘e office during normal business hours.

The EPA’s WaterSense program reports that, “The average household’s leaks can account for more than 10,000 gallons of water wasted every year, or the amount of water needed to wash 270 loads of laundry.”

Actively repairing leaks helps to ensure that water is not wasted, and that it will be available for future generations.

It takes 10 minutes to check a toilet for leaks.

Drop a dye tablet or add a few drops of food coloring into the tank and wait 10 minutes. If the color appears in the bowl, you have a leak. Don’t forget to flush the toilet immediately afterward to avoid staining.

More 10-minute tasks:

• Check for leaks indoors by looking for dripping faucets, and showerheads and listening for running toilets. For outdoors, check irrigation systems, sprinklers, and spigots or hose bibbs. Monitor monthly water bills to discover leaks that are otherwise unnoticeable.
• Twist and tighten faucet, showerhead, hose and pipe connections to stop drips. To save more water, twist a WaterSense-labeled aerator onto your bathroom faucet.
• If your toilet keeps running long after your flush, you may need to replace a worn toilet flapper or adjust the rubber ball attached to a chain in your toilet tank. If a new toilet replacement is needed, consider buying a WaterSense-labeled toilet.

WaterSense-labeled toilets meet the Environmental Protection Agency standards for reducing water consumption by using at least 20% less water than the current federal standard, while still being a high-performance toilet when compared to non-WaterSense counterparts.

For more information about Fix a Leak Week and other leak detection tips from the EPA WaterSense program, visit www.epa.gov/watersense. Follow the trend at #FixALeak, #LeakDetective and #FALW and visit www.facebook.com/KauaiDOW.