During the dry season, the Southwest Florida Water Management District would like to remind homeowners that they can conserve water by maintaining current kitchen and bathroom fixtures or by upgrading to water conserving fixtures.
A dripping faucet can waste up to 30 gallons of water per day. Dripping faucets can be repaired by replacing the washers or tightening the fixture. A variety of repair kits can be found in local home improvement and hardware stores. Most kits contain detailed instructions and a listing of necessary tools.
A leaky toilet can waste up to 100 gallons of water per day. Toilet leaks can be detected by adding leak detector tablets or a few drops of food coloring to the toilet tank. If the tank is leaking, color will appear in the bowl within 10-15 minutes. Flush the toilet after testing. The leak could be caused by a worn flapper. If replacing the flapper, visit www.toiletflapper.org for help selecting the proper flapper for your toilet. If the leak is not caused by the flapper, you will need a large adjustable wrench and a screwdriver to fix the leak yourself.
Installing faucet aerators and installing low-flow showerheads and low-flow toilets will also conserve water. Older showerheads can use as much as 8 gallons per minute. New low-volume showerheads deliver 2.5 gallons of water per minute. Since the mid-1990s, all new toilets have been redesigned to conserve water, using 1.6 gallons of water per flush. Older models use 3 gallons or more per flush.
Faucet aerators are circular screened disks, usually made of metal, that are screwed onto the head of the faucet to reduce flow. Aerators for kitchen faucets are available with a variety of spray patterns and flow-control features. Faucet aerators require periodic cleaning to remove grit and scale buildup that may inhibit flow.
Call a plumber if you are not comfortable making these repairs or retrofits.
For more simple tips on how you can conserve water, visit the District’s web site at at www.WaterMatters.org.