Household leaks waste more than 1 trillion gallons of water nationwide each year, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. That’s nearly 10,000 gallons of wasted water per home annually, often caused by dripping faucets, running toilets and leaking showerheads.

Those small leaks can also increase a household’s water bill by up to 10 percent.

National Fix a Leak Week, taking place March 16-22, is a reminder for homeowners to check their plumbing and repair leaks that waste both water and money.

“Most household leaks are easy to find and inexpensive to fix,” said Matthew Rihs, Community Services Manager for the Florida Governmental Utility Authority (FGUA). “Taking a few minutes to check your home during Fix a Leak Week can save thousands of gallons of water each year and lower your utility bill.”

The timing is especially important in Florida. As of early March 2026, nearly 70 percent of the state is experiencing extreme drought conditions, with more than 95 percent under some level of drought or dry conditions. These conditions can lead to water restrictions, lower aquifer levels and increased wildfire risk.

Finding the Leaks

Many common household leaks are easy to detect. The most frequent sources include worn toilet flappers, dripping faucets and leaking showerheads.

Homeowners can use these simple steps to identify leaks:

• Check your water meter. Turn off all water inside and outside your home and check the meter. If it changes after two hours, you may have a leak.

• Test your toilet. Add a few drops of food coloring to the toilet tank. If color appears in the bowl after about 10 minutes, you likely have a leak. Flush immediately afterward to prevent staining.

• Inspect faucets and pipes. Look for moisture or water collecting around pipe fittings, under sinks or near appliances.

Get the Kids Involved

FGUA encourages families to involve children in finding leaks through its “Detective Drippy” activity.

The downloadable activity sheet invites kids to grab their magnifying glasses and calculators to help Detective Drippy track down sneaky leaks around the house. The two-page activity sheet includes clues, a checklist and a word search to teach children the importance of saving water.

The activity sheet is available here:

https://www.fgua.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Detective-Drippy-1.pdf

For more information about finding leaks and conserving water, visit:

https://www.fgua.com/community/sustainability/#leak

Even small leaks can add up quickly. A running toilet alone can waste hundreds of gallons of water each day, making leak repairs one of the easiest ways homeowners can protect Florida’s water resources while lowering their monthly water bills.

The Florida Governmental Utility Authority (FGUA) owns and operates almost 100 water and wastewater utility systems in 15 Florida counties, providing service to nearly 100,000 customers with more than 120,000 connections (water and/or sewer.) Counties served by FGUA include Citrus, Hillsborough, Lake, Marion, Orange, Pasco, Polk, Seminole, Hardee, Lee, Alachua, Flagler, Putnam, Volusia and Nassau.