Did you know that an average home can waste more than 10,000 gallons of water every year due to running toilets, dripping faucets, and other household leaks? Nationwide, more than 1 trillion gallons of water leak from U.S. homes each year. In honor of national Fix a Leak Week, askHRgreen.org, the HRPDC's environmental education initiative, is reminding all Hampton Roads residents to check their plumbing fixtures and irrigation systems.

To help save water for future generations (and save a substantial amount on your utility bill each month) simply check, twist, and replace:

• Check for leaks. Look for dripping faucets, showerheads, and fixture connections. Also check for toilets with silent leaks by putting a few drops of food coloring into the tank and seeing if it appears in the bowl before you flush. Don’t forget to check irrigation systems and spigots too.
• Twist and tighten pipe connections. To save more water without a noticeable difference in flow, twist on a WaterSense labeled faucet aerator.
• Replace the fixture if necessary. Look for WaterSense labeled models, which are independently certified to use 20 percent less water and perform as well as or better than standard models.

For more information on finding and fixing expensive household leaks, click here.