'Fix a Leak Week' Begins in Gwinnett

From Gwinnett County government:

The Gwinnett County Department of Water Resources is partnering with the Metropolitan North Georgia Water Planning District to participate in this year’s Fix a Leak Week, a nationwide water conservation effort sponsored by the EPA’s WaterSense® program.

During the week of March 18, the County will encourage residents to help put a stop to the more than 1 trillion gallons of water wasted each year from easy to fix leaks.

“A leaky faucet may seem like a little drip, but those drops of water can add up to thousands of gallons of wasted water and more money spent on residents’ water bills,” said Heather Moody, Gwinnett County’s water conservation coordinator.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the average American home leaks more than 10,000 gallons of water per year, equivalent to the water needed to wash 280 loads of laundry or take more than 600 showers.

Water Resources is asking all residents to save water by checking, twisting and replacing:

• Check 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 and waiting 15 minutes to see if color appears in the bowl before you flush. Don’t forget to also check irrigation systems and spigots.

• Twist on a new aerator. To save water without seeing a noticeable difference in flow in the bathroom, twist on a WaterSense labeled faucet aerator. Also, tighten hose and pipe connections.

• 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.

Gwinnett County is also hosting two Fix a Leak workshops on March 19 from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center Auditorium, 75 Langley Drive in Lawrenceville and March 23 from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Centerville Community Center, 3025 Bethany Church Road in Snellville.

The workshops are free to the public, but registration is required by calling (678) 376-6722 or emailing dwrconserve@gwinnettcounty.com.

Residents can also participate in the Water Drop Dash 5K Race and Family Water Festival on March 16 at the Chattahoochee Nature Center in Roswell. The event begins with a children’s fun run, followed by a festival full of prizes, kids’ activities and utility mascots. Race participants will get free admission to the Chattahoochee Nature Center during the festival. For more information, visit www.waterdropdash.com.