CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The Public Service Commission of West Virginia recently participated in the 11th annual “Fix a Leak Week” by bringing educational information about water conservation to third, fourth and fifth grade students in West Virginia.

“Water conservation is a critical issue for our society,” said Public Service Commission chairman Michael Albert. “The average household loses more than 10,000 gallons of water every year, enough to flush a low-flow toilet more than 6,000 times.  The money you save on your water bills will more than pay for the small cost of fixing these leaks.”

Fix a Leak Week encourages families to be vigilant in finding and repairing leaks in household plumbing fixtures and outdoor irrigation systems. 

To help save water, the Commission offers the following tips:

• Monitor your water bill.  If a family of four uses more than 12,000 gallons per month, you could have a serious leak.  Turn off all water, then read the meter at the beginning and end of two hours. If the meter changes, there is probably a leak.

• Check for possible toilet leaks.  Put a few drops of food coloring in your toilet tank. If you see color in the bowl after 10 minutes, you have a leak.  Worn flappers often cause silent toilet leaks.  Flappers are inexpensive and easy to install.

• If your faucet drips, tighten connections and replace the aerator with a WaterSense labeled model to save water without a noticeable difference in flow.

• Most leaky showerheads can be fixed by wrapping the pipe stem with pipe tape, then reattaching the showerhead.

For more information, visit the Public Service Commission website at www.psc.state.wv.us and click on “Lower Your Water Bill.”