City encourages residents to check for water leaks

Archive for Wednesday, March 7, 2012

March 7, 2012

The Bonner Springs Utilities Department, as a partner with the Environmental Protection Agency’s WaterSense program, is promoting “Fix a Leak Week” March 12-18.

The website epa.gov/watersense has a vast amount of consumer information regarding smart water use and tips for consumers to help save this precious resource. “Fix a Leak Week” is an annual effort to remind citizens and business owners of the many ways that consumers can save water and money by fixing leaks within their homes and businesses.

Minor water leaks account for over 1 trillion gallons of water wasted every year in our homes. An average household leak can account for more than 100,000 gallons of water wasted in a year, costing an additional $500 on homeowners’ water bills. Ten percent of homes have leaks that waste more than 90 gallons per day.

Common leaks are toilets, and dripping faucets. Fixing the leaks can save 10 percent or more on your monthly water bill.

The WaterSense program is a partnership with manufacturers promoting the efficient use of water by affixing labels on household appliances indicating their water efficiency and performance. Bonner Springs Utilities encourages citizens to look for the Water Sense label when purchasing products for their homes and businesses. WaterSense labeled products use 20 percent less water and perform as well or better than other conventional products.

The Utilities section on the city website has a link for the WaterSense webpage. There is additional information on the site for popular tips to save water and money and the advantage of using refillable water bottles instead of purchasing bottled water. Helpful conservation informational pamphlets also are available at City Hall and the library.