Plug Up Leaks and Ease Our Drought

It’s impossible to go a day in Southern California without thinking about the drought. While severe, our state is being lauded for our increasing efforts to conserve the resources we have from a governmental level down to each and every resident.

Phyllis Keithley of Keithley Plumbing can attest to Pasadenan’s vigilance to conserve our precious resources: “As soon as they notice if their hose is leaking or their faucets or anything starts to leak, I tell you, people are on the phone immediately.”

This might seem like overkill, but according to the EPA, it’s not. A list of water saving tips and facts on their website notes that a single household’s unchecked leaks can waste more than 10,000 gallons of water per year.

Think that couldn’t possibly be you? The EPA also reports that 10 percent of homes have leaks that waste 90 gallons or more per day.

Here are some ways to help self-assess your home for leaks:

1.  Check your water meter before and after a two-hour period when no water is being used: if the meter read is different, you probably have a leak.

2.  Inspect your garden hose for leaks to its connection to the spigot (and make sure it’s closed tightly).

3.  Place a drop of food coloring in the toilet tank (not the bowl). Wait 15 minutes without flushing; if the bowl water is blue, your toilet is running and wasting water.

Another system you want to pay attention to, especially as these warmer months hit? Your sprinklers. “Locals are being very cautious with their sprinklers and they’re trying to learn how to set their timers or even just turn them off,” says Keithley. Check your settings on your sprinkler timer to see if maybe you’ve been watering while you’re not home and didn’t even realize it, or turn it off all together and let your lawn go brown, like many residents.

If you really want to dedicate your household to saving water, a tankless water heater is an upgrade that’s right for some. If your plumbing meets the requirements for installation, a tankless water heater supplies water at a faster pace than traditional water heaters and even saves on water (check Keithley Plumbing’s website to learn more).

To play their part in this water conservation program, Keithley Plumbing sends emails to its clients, reminding them to check their plumbing or inspect their faucets, showers, or irrigation system for leaks. As quickly as possible, Keithley Plumbing plumbers will go to your home and perform all the necessary actions to keep leaks at bay.

“As soon as they notice a little drip or if they hear water running anywhere they should call us.”

Let this be a reminder that we all have to do our part to solve water shortage in our area.

Keithley Plumbing is located at 3579 E Foothill Blvd #227 Pasadena. For more information, call (626) 449-0387 or visit http://www.keithleyplumbing.com