[Durham INC] Durham Urges Residents to Fix Water & Money-Wasting Leaks

[Blalock, Amy]

CITY OF DURHAM

Office of Public Affairs

101 City Hall Plaza

Durham, NC 27701

 

 

News Release

 

News Media Contact:

Amy Blalock

Sr. Public Affairs Specialist

(919) 560-4123 x 11253

(919) 475-7735 (cell)

Amy.Blalock at DurhamNC.gov 

http://Facebook.com/CityofDurhamNC 

http://Twitter.com/CityofDurhamNC    

 

For Immediate Release: March 13, 2013

 

 

Durham Urges Residents to Fix Water and Money-Wasting Leaks

"Fix-a-Leak Week" set for March 18-24; Free Guidance Offered at Home Improvement Stores

 

DURHAM, N.C. - Drips down the sink mean more than wasted water - it also equals money down the drain. Now, Durham residents and small businesses are being encouraged to do something about it using free information and guidance being provided next week at two home improvement stores.

 

The City of Durham Water Management Department is helping residents find and fix leaks as part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) "Fix-a-Leak Week," set for March 18-24, 2013. The City's Water Conservation and Efficiency staff will be providing free information and guidance on how to check for leaks and fix them in both homes and small businesses. On Saturday, March 23, City staff will be at Lowe's, located at 4402 Fayetteville St., from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., and at The Home Depot, located at 1700 N. Pointe Dr., from 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

 

"Leaks can account for more than 10,000 gallons of water in an average home every year, which equals the amount of water it takes to wash 270 loads of laundry," said Al Nelson, conservation and efficiency program coordinator with the City's Water Management Department. "As a WaterSense partner, we are encouraging consumers to find and fix leaks to save water in our community and to save money in their wallets." 

 

To help save water, the City is asking consumers to "check, twist, and replace" using the following steps:

§  Check for leaks. Look for dripping faucets, showerheads, sprinklers, and other fixtures. Also check for toilets with silent leaks by putting a few drops of food coloring into the tank, waiting 10 minutes, and seeing if color appears in the bowl before flushing. Don't forget to check irrigation systems and spigots too.

§  Twist and tighten hose and pipe connections. To save water without a noticeable difference in water flow into a bathroom, twist on a WaterSense labeled faucet aerator. 

§  Replace the fixture if necessary. Look for WaterSense labeled models, which are independently certified to use 20 percent less water and perform as well as or better than standard models.

 

According to Nelson, in many cases fixture replacement parts pay for themselves quickly and can be installed by handy do-it-yourselfers or local plumbing professionals. Irrigation professionals certified through a WaterSense labeled program can also check water systems for leaks. 

 

For more information on "Fix-a-Leak Week" or to find WaterSense labeled products or a water auditor, visit http://www.epa.gov/watersense. 

 

For water conservation and efficiency information, including details on the High Efficiency Toilet Rebate Program available to Durham residents, visit http://www.DurhamSavesWater.org. 

 

About WaterSense®

WaterSense, a partnership program sponsored by the EPA, seeks to protect the future of our nation's water supply by offering people a simple way to use less water with water-efficient products, new homes, and services. Since the program's inception in 2006, WaterSense has helped consumers save 287 billion gallons of water and $4.7 billion in water and energy bills. For more information, visit http://www.epa.gov/watersense.

 

About the Water Management Department
The Water Management Department is responsible for the operation and maintenance of Durham's water supply, water treatment and water reclamation (wastewater treatment) facilities, the collection and distribution systems (including meter reading), and customer billing services. The department has a wide variety of support divisions and programs to maintain the existing infrastructure that provide these integral services and strive to be a responsible steward of the City's physical assets. For more information, visit http://DurhamNC.gov/ich/op/dwm or "like" Durham Saves Water at http://www.Facebook.com/DurhamSavesWater. 

 

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