DOW Offering Leak Detection Kits in Honor of ‘Fix a Leak Week’

The Department of Water is encouraging all water users to detect and fix residential leaks during the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s annual “Fix a Leak Week” which is celebrated nationally from March 16 through March 20, according to a news release by the County of Kaua‘i.

Fix a Leak Week is honored annually by the DOW and serves as an important reminder to Kauai businesses and residents to regularly check for water leaks and repair them promptly, in a conservation effort to avoid wasting water.  An undetected leak could also result in an unnecessary increase on your monthly water bill if it is not checked and repaired right away.

In honor of this national awareness week, the DOW will be offering free leak detection starter kits at the following locations:

• Kilauea – March 7 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Anaina Hou Farmer’s Market
• Waimea – March 14 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., at Waimea High Health & Wellness Fair
• Lihu‘e – March 16-20 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at DOW office at 4398 Pua Loke Street

The leak detection starter kits will include two toilet leak detection dye tablets with instructions, a standard toilet flapper, a water saving tips brochure, a DOW customer convenience card and a 9-function garden hose nozzle. Kits will be limited to one per household and available while supplies last.

Leaks can be caused by a variety of reasons such as; loose, worn or damaged plumbing fixtures.  Irrigation professionals are also encouraged to check systems for leaks frequently.  As part of the EPA’s national campaign, to help save water for future generations, the DOW is encouraging consumers to follow three simple steps: Check. Twist. Replace.

• Check for leaks. Look for dripping faucets, showerheads, sprinklers and other fixtures. For toilets, put a few drops of food coloring or a dye tablet into the tank and wait 10 minutes. If any color appears in the bowl, your toilet has a leak. Don’t forget to also check irrigation systems and outdoor spigots. Examine your lawn for wet spots where grass seems greener. This could indicate a broken underground pipe. If you find a leak, have it repaired as soon as possible.
• Twist and tighten hose and pipe connections. For additional savings, twist on a low-flow aerator to each faucet to save water without noticing a difference in flow.
• Replace the fixture if necessary. Look for WaterSense labeled models, which are independently certified to use reduce water use by 20 percent and perform as well as or better than standard models.

For more information about Fix a Leak Week and other leak detection tips from the WaterSense program, visit www.epa.gov/watersense.

For more information about water conservation tips, visit www.kauaiwater.org or call the Department of Water at 245-5461 or 245-5455.

WaterSense, a partnership program sponsored by EPA, seeks to protect the future of our nation’s water supply by offering people a simple way to use less water with water-efficient products, new homes, and services. Since the program’s inception in 2006, WaterSense has helped consumers save hundreds of billions of gallons of water and billions in water and energy bills. For more information, visit www.epa.gov/watersense.