Water Conservation Is The Focus For Upcoming ‘Fix A Leak’ Week

The national event ”Fix a leak week” is coming up on March 12 through the 18 and El Paso is participating by raising awareness of local water waste.

El Paso Water Utilities spokesman Martin Bartlett said the average home in El Paso wastes up to 10,000 gallons of water every year due to leaks and overuse.

“If you’re wasting water on a dripping faucet or on a dripping valve or a leaky toilet, it’s going to make all your water more expensive. So not only is there a water conservation message here, there is also a real cost-saving component,” said Bartlett.

In fact, officials said a leaky toilet could send 7,000 gallons of water down the drain every month.

There are easy ways to check for toilet leaks. Experts recommend placing a few drops of food coloring in the tank of the toilet and waiting five minutes to see if the bowl changes color as well.

If it does, you have a leak.

Other water-saving tips for the toilet include double-flush adapters that cost less than $20 and can save up to 15,000 gallons of water a year. That means the gadget pays for itself in less than a year.

Officials said another water-saving gadget to use is a faucet aerator that decrease the amount of water coming out of your faucet while still keeping the stream the same size

“It’s not just about saving water, it’s about saving money,” said Bartlett.

Since 1991, El Paso Water Utilities customers have conserved an estimated 231 billion gallons of water, averaging out to nearly 30 million gallons saved per day.

The EPWU website is also devoting an entire section to more water-saving tips. You can find more information by clicking here.