FLORIDA – One trillion gallons. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), that’s about how much water is wasted in household leaks every year. While that 1 followed by 12 zeros is a staggering amount, consumers old and young alike – aided by a bit of detective work – can make a huge impact on reducing this costly waste and conserving a precious resource. 

That’s where the Florida Governmental Utility Authority’s (FGUA) “Detective Drippy” comes in. In honor of Fix a Leak Week (March 17–23), FGUA invites kids to grab their magnifying glasses and calculators and help Detective Drippy track down sneaky leaks around the house. This fun, hands-on activity teaches kids the importance of saving water while turning them into real-life leak detectives. 

Guided by a printable two-page flyer which can be found at (https://www.fgua.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Detective-Drippy-1.pdf), children are asked to help Drippy solve the case of the high water bill. The clues, activities, checklist and find-a-word game provide a fun focus on identifying and solving the most common causes of water leaks.

Looking for Clues

One of the biggest water-wasting culprits is the toilet, which if not in good working order can waste more than 200 gallons of water a day. Checking for leaks is easy:

·      Remove the lid from the tank, and remove any cleaners that might change the color of the water

·      Place a drop or two of food coloring in the tank; without flushing, wait 20 minutes then check the bowl

·      If the water has changed color, you know you have a leak from the tank and likely need to replace the rubber toilet flapper; go to https://youtu.be/TPeViXIgOPE for a helpful EPA video on replacing your leaky toilet flapper

While a leaky faucet or shower head is much easier to spot, be patient and “wait for the drip” if you see evidence of water in or on the sink, tub or tile. A drip at the rate of one drop every 30 seconds wastes 100 gallons per faucet per year. One drop per second, according to the EPA, can waste as much as 3,000 gallons of water per year, or enough to take more than 180 showers! The problem is likely a worn or cracked washer or could be a bad valve. Unless you are a confident Do-It-Yourselfer, contact a licensed plumber to further assess and make any necessary repair. 

Remember to look for clues outside your home, as well, with a leading suspect being your irrigation system. Water running on sidewalks, over curbs or pooling in your lawn are good indications that you’ve got a broken sprinkler head or busted underground pipe. Most DIYers can easily make these repairs, but contact a licensed lawn irrigation specialist if you have any doubts. 

If you suspect you have a leak but see no visible clues, your water meter might provide the evidence you need. Most water meters have a small gauge known as a “leak indicator.” 

·      Look for a small, red or black triangular shaped indicator on the meter face

·      Make sure no water inside or outside the home is being used, including a water softener in the regeneration cycle

·      Watch carefully to see if the leak indicator is spinning or moving, which indicates water is passing through the meter and could be evidence of a possible leak

·      Contact a licensed plumber who has the equipment to detect hard-to-find leaks in your water delivery system

For more information about other types of leaks as well as helpful videos for do-it-yourselfers, visit https://www.epa.gov/watersense/fix-leak-week to visit the EPA’s WaterSense website for Fix a Leak Week. 

The Florida Governmental Utility Authority (FGUA) owns and operates almost 100 water and wastewater utility systems in 14 Florida counties, providing service to more than 120,000 customer connections. Counties served by FGUA include Citrus, Hillsborough, Lake, Marion, Orange, Pasco, Polk, Seminole, Hardee, Lee, Alachua, Flagler, Putnam and Volusia.