Be a Leak Detective During Fix a Leak Week!

Leaks can run, but they can't hide! March 16 - 22, 2026, is Fix a Leak Week, an annual national campaign sponsored by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) WaterSense program to assist the public in identifying and fixing leaks. Household leaks can waste nearly one trillion gallons of water annually nationwide. Help Stafford conserve water and save on your budget by checking your home and irrigation systems for potential leaks.

The average household's leaks waste nearly 10,000 gallons of water per year, which is enough to wash 300 loads of laundry. Cumulatively, that amounts to more than one trillion gallons of water. Common types of leaks in the home include worn toilet flappers, dripping faucets and leaking valves. These leaks are often easy to fix, requiring only a few tools and hardware that can pay for themselves in water savings. Fixing easily corrected household water leaks can save homeowners about 10 percent on their water bills. Follow these easy steps to save water: check, twist and replace.

• CHECK for leaks. Look and listen for running toilets and dripping faucets, showerheads, sprinklers, spigots and other fixtures. Check the toilet for leaks. Some running toilets can be silent and can be a considerable cause of wasted water. To check if your toilet is leaking:
  • Put a toilet leak detection dye tablet or three drops of green or blue food coloring into the top tank of your toilet and do not flush. If the color appears in the toilet bowl within a few hours, you have a leak. Don't forget to flush the toilet afterward to remove any leftover dye.
• TWIST and tighten hose and pipe connections. To save water in your bathroom without a noticeable difference in flow, twist on a WaterSense-labeled faucet aerator.
• REPLACE the fixture if necessary. Look for WaterSense-labeled models. These models are independently certified to use 20 percent less water and perform as well as or better than standard models.

There are a few more simple steps that can go a long way in saving water and money:

• Check your water meter before and two hours after no water usage. If the meter moves at all, you probably have a leak.
• Customers should briefly run their irrigation systems during the day to check for any broken sprinkler heads, detached drip lines, or other issues that may be causing leaks or water loss.
• Examine faucet gaskets and pipe fittings for any water outside the pipe to check for surface leaks.

Stafford County Utilities urges customers to take 10 minutes this week to check for leaks and, if necessary, repair them. For a checklist to keep track of your search for leaks, take the EPA's 10 Minute WaterSense Challenge. These small steps can help save money and help customers avoid wasting precious water and incurring high water bills.