All Things Water … from Shoreline Water District

Fix a Leak Week

In honor of World Water Day on Friday, March 22, we at Shoreline Water District would like to encourage you to think about the critical water issues affecting our planet during this era.

In our nation alone, did you know that more than 1 trillion gallons of water leaks from U.S. homes every year? Experts estimate roughly 10 percent of American homes drip away almost 90 gallons of water a day. The usual culprits—leaky toilets, faucets and shower heads—can cost up to $200 per year in utility charges literally going down the drain.

If you’ve never tested your home toilet for leaks, this week is the perfect time to do it. From now through March 24, the EPA's Annual Fix a Leak Week makes toilet dye strip tests available to selected neighborhoods to help raise awareness about this issue.

During last year's Fix a Leak Week, Shoreline Water District used the dye strip tests to initiate a special water awareness program with local schools. We worked with the teachers to help educate their students about water conservation and how to test their home toilet for leaks; students brought back a signed note verifying the test had been completed.  The program was an overwhelming success: students became much more aware about water usage, and the classroom with the highest participation was featured in our newsletter and on our website.

This year, the Saving Water Partnership, a group of local utilities including Shoreline Water District and Seattle Public Utilities, decided to apply our awareness program approach to an expanded area. Dye strip tests will be distributed to students in Shoreline as well as some schools in Seattle; the school with the highest participation will once again be included in Shoreline Water District’s newsletter, on our website, and also on the Saving Water Partnership’s website.

If you’d like more information about the fifth annual National Fix a Leak Week, which runs from March 18 through 24, contact Arece Hampton, 206-733-9137 or visit the website. 

Curious to learn more about your water and the water issues facing our region, nation, and planet? Wondering what it takes to work in the water utility industry? 

Stop by our booth at the Shoreline Science and Technology Fair and STEM Career Exposition this Saturday March 23, from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm, at Shoreline Community College's Student Union Building. There you’ll find Shoreline Water District staff to tell you more about “all things water,” including Jesse Foss, who is currently attending Shoreline Community College thanks partially to a scholarship from the Washington Association of Sewer and Water Districts.