Easy Ways Rockland Residents Can Find Leaks and Save Water at Home

August marks National Water Quality Month, making it the perfect time for homeowners to take a closer look at how they are using water. The Rockland County Water Advisory Council is encouraging residents to conduct a simple home water audit to lower utility costs, identify hidden leaks, improve water efficiency, and help protect Rockland County's long-term water resources.

While many homeowners focus on conserving water outdoors during the summer, indoor water use can account for a significant portion of a household's overall bill. Small leaks, aging plumbing fixtures, and inefficient appliances often waste thousands of gallons of water each year without homeowners realizing it. A home water audit is a simple way to identify opportunities to conserve water while reducing monthly utility bills.

Residents are encouraged to begin their home water audit by:

• Checking their water meter when no water is being used to help identify hidden leaks.
• Testing toilets for silent leaks using dye tablets.
• Replacing older plumbing fixtures with WaterSense®-labeled models that use less water while maintaining performance.
• Reviewing outdoor irrigation systems for leaks or damaged sprinkler heads where hundreds of gallons can be lost each summer.

"Many people are surprised to learn how much water can be lost through small leaks or inefficient fixtures," said Beth Davidson, Chair of the Rockland County Water Advisory Council. "A home water audit is one of the easiest and most cost-effective steps residents can take to conserve water, lower household expenses, and help protect Rockland County's water supply."

Residents can also take advantage of local resources to support their water conservation efforts. These include visiting EPA WaterSense to learn how to save water in the home, educational materials available through the Rockland County Water Hero website, and rebates offered by Veolia for qualifying WaterSense® products, including select toilets, showerheads, clothes washers, irrigation controllers, and rain barrels. Residents can also pick up free water conservation tools, including shower timers, toilet leak detection tablets, and moisture meters while supplies last at the Rockland Water Advisory Council office listed below, at community events, or receive them in the mail when you sign up to be an H2O Hero at https://rcklnd.us/waterhero.

Water conservation and water quality are closely connected, and National Water Quality Month also provides an opportunity for residents to learn more about issues affecting local and regional water resources. As part of its ongoing educational efforts,the Water Advisory Council will host its August Lunch & Learn webinar focused on Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) on Wednesday, August 19, from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. The webinar will explain what Harmful Algal Blooms are, their environmental and public health impacts, how residents can recognize and report potential blooms, and the actions communities can take to help prevent them. The presentation will feature Sarah Goodrich, Ph.D., Research Scientist with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation's Division of Water.

Residents can register for the webinar and access the Water Advisory Council's residential water audit guide, conservation resources, rebate information, and additional educational materials by visiting the Water Hero website at https://rcklnd.us/waterhero.

The Rockland County Water Conservation Project is funded by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.

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Rockland County Water Advisory Council
Dr. Robert L. Yeager Health Center
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