By Mackenzie Nash, Big Sky Watershed Corps Member

Fix-A-Leak

Water is a precious resource. Over one trillion gallons of water are wasted annually within the US, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). One of the key contributors to this water waste is leaks inside the home with more than 11 million households being culpable. Common causes of leaks are worn-out toilet flappers, malfunctioning fill valves, dripping faucets, and faulty showerheads. Fortunately, all are fairly simple fixes.

The EPA created Fix-A-Leak Week to bring awareness to home water conservation and address water loss that occurs within American households. Our goal is to highlight solutions to help both homeowners and renters save both water and money.

Why Save Water?

Less than 1% of all water on Earth is viable for human use according to the EPA. The majority is found locked away in salt water oceans, polar ice caps, or isn’t accessible for practical use. Gallatin County is one of the fastest growing areas within the state, with over a 40% increase since 2010 alone. As our population and community grows, this resource is becoming more scarce. Don’t wait until we’re out to do your part!

The Task Force recognizes Fix-A-Leak Week as an opportunity to educate our community on water conservation techniques. We understand that environmental stewardship can often seem daunting and unachievable on an individual level; however, small personal actions, like addressing leaks, can help conserve essential resources like water by reducing the overall consumption within our limited watershed. By making these simple changes, individuals can do their part to conserve our community’s water resources for generations to come.

Simple Ways to Save

• Turn off the Tap! By turning off the tap while you brush your teeth in the morning and before bed, you can save as much as 4 to 8 gallons of water per day and more than 200 gallons per month.
• Shower Power! Showering uses far less water than filling up a bath. On average, a shower only uses 10 to 25 gallons, while a bath of the same duration can use up to 70 gallons of water. To save even more water, try to keep your showers under five minutes long—so that’s one listen of Beyonce’s “Run the World” or Robyn’s “Dancing on my Own”.
  Switching your showerhead to a WaterSense model will also reduce water consumption. These can be acquired at ACE Hardware or at the GRTF office.
• Fix That Leak! Fixing a leaky toilet is a great way to reduce household water consumption.  A leaky toilet can waste more than 200 gallons per day. That’s almost 50 extra flushes!

Take action this Fix-A-Leek Week, and participate in the Ten Minute Challenge by walking around your home for ten minutes to check for potential leaks.

• Check your water bill from a colder month like January or February. If it shows that a household is using far more than 12,000 gallons per month, then there are likely some serious leaks that need to be stopped. Check your water meter before and after a two-hour time period when no water is being used. If the meter changes at all after, there is most likely a leak.
• Identify toilet leaks by placing food coloring or toilet test dye into the toilet tank without flushing. If the color appears in the bowl within a few minutes, the flapper may need to be replaced. GRTF also has toilet tabs available at our office for this simple check.
• Inspect faucet washers and gaskets for wear, and replace them if needed. GRTF has available WaterSense faucet attachments at our office. Big Sky residents are also eligible for a rebate for purchased attachments.
• Use pipe tape or a wrench to tighten connections where shower heads are attached.

 Visit Us in Big Sky for Resources and Materials

Fix-A-Leak Week will take place March 16th-20th, and the Task Force will be out and around our community to help provide resources and materials to detect leaks and stop them in their tracks by upgrading to WaterSense labeled products.

• Monday, March 16th, 8-10 AM at ACE Hardware
• Additional materials and information are available for pickup at BASE throughout the week.

We hope to see you there! If we happen to miss you and you have further questions, please reach out to our Conservation Manager, Jess Olson, at jessica@gallatinrivertaskforce.org. Or visit the EPA’s WaterSense Homepage to learn more about leaks and the roles you play in preventing them.