Detecting Leaks
Test Your Toilets
Did you know that a silent leak in a toilet can waste more than 40 gallons of water per day? To test your toilets for leaks, put a few drops of food coloring or leak detection tablets into the tank of the toilet. Do not flush the toilet for 15 minutes. If colored water appears in the bowl, your toilet has a leak.
You can also detect a toilet leak by listening to see if your toilet "runs" when they are not in use. A running toilet can waste up to 5 gallons per minute making leak detection an important conservation tip. Repairing a toilet leak is usually simple and can often be done by replacing the flapper or fill valve, or adjusting the float.
Check for Invisible or Slow Leaks
Reading your meter often will help detect invisible or slow leaks making it more likely you'll catch a leak early. Turn off all water taps inside and outside your home. Record the meter reading and return in 2 to 3 hours to check for movement. If the meter reading has changed, you may have a leak. Many meters have a small triangle on the meter face, designed to detect even small leaks. If this triangle is moving when you have all water off inside and outside your home, you may have a leak.
Is the Leak Inside or Outside?
To find out if a leak is inside or outside your home try monitoring the meter with the house valve turned off. If there is movement on the meter while the house valve is off, the water leak is outside.
Check Your Yard & Sprinkler System
If certain areas of your yard are always wet or muddy, check for leaks in your sprinkler system. Also, check for broken sprinkler heads. Broken sprinkler heads spray excessive amounts of water and need to be replaced.