Welcome to The Water Connection, an online newsletter for the Crystal Springs Water District.
LEAKS - Unseen or unfixed, can drip hundreds, even thousands, of gallons of water down the drain. A little detective work several times a year can catch these water thieves in the act and put them out of circulation.FAUCETS - Most leaks result from worn washers in household faucets and showerheads. These faucets, as well as seldom-used taps in the basement or storage rooms, should be checked periodically. Faucet leaks are usually caused by worn washers or "O" rings (for washerless faucets). All you have to do is turn off the water supply line to that faucet, replace the washer and turn on the line again. Any good do-it-yourself book will offer advice on this simple task. If you're not a do-it-yourselfer, have the work done by someone who knows how to do the job.
WATER HEATERS - Make sure the temperature / pressure relief valve located on your water heater functions correctly. You can do this by lifting the lever on the relief valve located near the top of the water heater and observing if hot water discharges from the attached drain pipe. This should be done at least once a year. If the relief valve fails to release and/or seal properly, it may need replacement.. A leaky pop-off valve will increase your electricity or gas bills as well as the water bill. Occasionally the relief valve releases spontaneously; this may indicate that the pressure regulator near your water meter is allowing excess pressure into your system. Please call Crystal Springs for assistance.
TOILETS - The toilet is one of the most common water wasters but its leaks tend to be less noticeable than faucet leaks. To determine if your toilet is leaking, look at the toilet bowl after the tank has stopped filling. If water is still running into the bowl, or if water can be heard running, your toilet is leaking. Most toilet leaks occur at the overflow pipe or at the plunger ball inside the tank. To locate a toilet leak, take the tank lid off and flush. The water level should come up to about half inch or so below the overflow pipe. Adjust the float level control screw, if necessary, so the valve shuts off the water at that level. If the valve itself is leaking, you may need a plumber to fix it. Although water may not be seen or heard running, your toilet may have a silent leak. To test for a silent leak, drop a little food coloring into the tank. DO NOT FLUSH. Wait for about 10 minutes. If the food coloring appears in the toilet bowl, your toilet has a silent leak. It is probably located in or around the plunger ball or flapper valve at the bottom of the tank. These leaks are also easy to fix with parts from your hardware or home store.
OUTSIDE TAPS - Check the outside taps for leaking water. A hose mistakenly left dribbling can waste thousands of gallons of water. Remember to close outside faucets tightly every time you shut off the water!
CHECK THE METER - Your water meter is the best detective in the home. It can tell whether you have sizable leaks, as well as how much water various appliances are using. Crystal Springs Water District meters record gallons just as your car's odometer records mileage. You are billed at $2.95 per each thousand gallons of water used. The water meters are never reset. To find how much water you've used in any given period, just subtract the meter reading on your last bill from the current meter reading and multiply by 1000. For leak detection, turn everything off carefully, so no water is being used anywhere in the house. Then, note the position of the hand on the face of the meter dial and the numbers on the 'odometer'. If when you look again after 15 - 30 minutes, the numbers and the hand have not changed, congratulations! You have a relatively water-tight home. But if it has, start checking hose connections, faucets and toilets. Sometimes a meter will indicate a leak when everything inside seems tight. In that case the leak may be underground between the meter and the house. (AWWA)
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