<p>[[{"fid":"85","view_mode":"default","type":"media","attributes":{"style":"float:right;margin:0 0 5px 5px;","alt":"Water lost to dripping faucets each minute","class":"adaptive-image media-element file-default"}}]]It&rsquo;s estimated that 14% of the average American household&rsquo;s water use is actually due to household leaks. Nationally this translates into more than 1 trillion gallons of water leaking from U.S. homes each year, or the equivalent to the annual water use of Los Angeles, Chicago, and Miami combined!</p><p>The source of these water leaks? Typical culprits are running toilets, dripping faucets, and other leaking valves. All are easily correctable.&nbsp;</p><h2>Make every drop count!&nbsp;Here&rsquo;s how:</h2><ul><li><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7EphH-iZxes">Watch</a> our video &ldquo;How to use your water meter to detect a water leak&rdquo;</li><li>Use dye tabs or food coloring to <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_iOntqeVGOU">check your toilet for leaks</a></li><li>Make sure your showerhead, faucets, and other pipe connections are sufficiently tight (be sure not to overtighten)</li><li><a href="http://www.epa.gov/watersense/pledge/index.html" title="WaterSense Pledge information">Take</a> the WaterSense &ldquo;I&rsquo;m for Water&rdquo; pledge</li></ul><h2>Two potentially low cost, simple repair examples:</h2><ul><li><p><strong>Leaky sink faucets</strong> are often caused by faulty washers that don&#39;t allow your faucet to shut off properly. Replacing faulty washers is an easy and inexpensive (less than $1) way to recoup water and money savings.</p></li><li><p><strong>Toilet leaks</strong> are often easy to <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_iOntqeVGOU">detect</a> and repair. Annually testing your toilets for leaks by using dye tablets or food coloring is key to quickly repairing leaky toilets. Many toilet leaks can be fixed by a do-it-yourself plumber, and are relatively inexpensive to implement ($5-20).</p></li></ul>