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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 19-014
March 20, 2019
Contact: deppressoffice@dep.nyc.gov, (718) 595-6600

During “Fix a Leak Week” New Yorkers are Encouraged to Save Money by Locating and Repairing Water Leaks

Leaking Faucet

In New York City, A Running Toilet can Cost a Homeowner up to $53 Per Day: DEP will be Handing out Leak Detection Tablets and Answering Questions at Home Depot stores this Week

During national Fix a Leak Week, the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) encourages New Yorkers to identify and fix residential water leaks. DEP offers a full range of information on how to detect leaky pipes and toilets including leak detection tablets and a Home Water Savings Kit that can help residents conduct a do-it-yourself water audit in less than an hour. We have also created a brief public service announcement that you can watch on YouTube about How to Detect a Leak in Your Toilet.

“Identifying and fixing leaky plumbing helps New Yorkers both save money and conserve our valuable water supply,” said DEP Commissioner Vincent Sapienza. “We provide property owners with near real time information about their water use and will issue an alert if we detect a higher than normal use of water in order to encourage timely repairs.”

DEP staff will be available at Fix a Leak Week outreach events at Home Depot stores at the below times and locations:

  • Wednesday, March 20, 3–7pm, 545 Targee Street, Staten Island 10304
  • Thursday, March 21, 3–7pm, 1806 East Gun Hill Road, Bronx 10469
  • Friday, March 22, 3–7pm, 5700 Avenue U, Brooklyn 11234
  • Saturday, March 23, 10am–2pm, 132-20 Merrick Blvd., Queens 11434

Nationwide, household leaks can waste more than 1 trillion gallons of water annually, equal to the annual water use of more than 11 million homes. Leaks are not only wasteful, but they can also be very expensive for homeowners. Visit the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Fix a Leak Week for more information.

Over the last few years, DEP has introduced a number of customer service initiatives aimed at helping New Yorkers manage their water use and bills and respond promptly to leaks. These programs include the completion of a network of Automated Meter Reading devices that ensure bills are based on actual consumption and that allow customers to access data about their water use in near real time. In addition, a leak notification system has already saved customers more than $16.5 million and the leak forgiveness program has been expanded to include maintainable fixtures such as toilets and faucets to encourage homeowners to make timely repairs.

DEP’s One Water NYC: 2018 Water Demand Management Plan outlines recent citywide conservation efforts that have resulted in a savings of 10 million gallons of water per day, as well as plans to conserve an additional 10 million gallons per day over the next five years. Through a number of strategic initiatives, DEP has been able to reduce per capita water demand in New York City from a peak of 213 gallons per day in 1979, to 117 gallons per day in 2018.

In addition to citywide efforts, DEP has also committed funding to help its largest upstate wholesale water customers, including communities in Orange and Westchester counties, develop conservation plans aimed at saving water, and money, in the future. DEP will work collaboratively with the upstate customers to identify demand management strategies, including leak detection and repair, with a goal of reducing their water use by 5 percent.

DEP manages New York City’s water supply, providing approximately 1 billion gallons of high quality drinking water each day to more than 9 million residents, including 8.5 million in New York City. The water is delivered from a watershed that extends more than 125 miles from the city, comprising 19 reservoirs and three controlled lakes. Approximately 7,000 miles of water mains, tunnels and aqueducts bring water to homes and businesses throughout the five boroughs, and 7,500 miles of sewer lines and 96 pump stations take wastewater to 14 in-city treatment plants. DEP has nearly 6,000 employees, including almost 1,000 in the upstate watershed. In addition, DEP has a robust capital program, with a planned $19.7 billion in investments over the next 10 years that will create up to 3,000 construction-related jobs per year. For more information, visit nyc.gov/dep, like us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter.

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