Press Release

PUC Highlights 2025 ‘Fix a Leak Week’ Awareness

Published on 3/17/2025

Filed under: Consumer Education Water and Wastewater

Simple Household Fixes Can Save Gallons and Dollars

HARRISBURG – The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) today emphasized the importance of water conservation, efficiency, and safety as part of National “Fix a Leak Week,” running from March 17-23, 2025. This annual campaign encourages households nationwide to check for leaks, preventing water waste and saving money.

The annual Fix a Leak campaign encourages households across the country to find and repair leaks, helping to protect the environment and lower utility bills.

“Fixing household leaks is simple and cost-effective, often requiring just a few basic tools. Taking action can reduce water bills by about 10% while conserving a vital resource,” said Ralph Yanora, PUC Commissioner and Co-Vice Chairman of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) Committee on Water, during the Public Meeting of March 13.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that 10% of homes have leaks wasting 90 gallons or more per day—adding up to nearly 1 trillion gallons of wasted water nationwide each year.

Checking for Leaks

As part of Fix a Leak Week, Pennsylvanians are encouraged to identify and fix leaks around their homes. The PUC and EPA offer the following tips:

• Check your water usage during a colder month like January or February. If a household of four exceeds 12,000 gallons in a month, you likely have a serious leak.
• Monitor your water meter before and after a two-hour period when no water is being used. If the meter changes, you probably have a leak.
• Test for toilet leaks by adding a drop of food coloring to the tank. If color appears in the bowl after 10 minutes, you have a leak. (Be sure to flush immediately after the experiment to avoid staining the tank.)
• Examine faucet gaskets and pipe fittings for any water on the outside of the pipe to check for surface leaks.

For more tips on detecting leaks and conserving water, visit the EPA’s WaterSense website.

About the PUC

The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission balances the needs of consumers and utilities; ensures safe and reliable utility service at reasonable rates; protects the public interest; educates consumers to make independent and informed utility choices; furthers economic development; and fosters new technologies and competitive markets in an environmentally sound manner.

Visit the PUC’s website at puc.pa.gov for recent news releases and video of select proceedings. You can also follow us on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube. Search for the “Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission” or “PA PUC” on your favorite social media channel for updates on utility issues and other helpful consumer information.

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Contact:

• Denise McCracken
  Senior Communications Specialist
  717-787-5722
  demccracken@pa.gov