Recycle used oil, automotive fluids, batteries and other products. Don’t dispose of hazardous products in toilets, storm drains, wastewater systems, creeks, alleys or on the ground. Such disposal can pollute water above and below the ground in water-bearing formations called aquifers.

Reduce the amount of fertilizers, pesticides or other hazardous chemicals you use. Buy only what you need, so you don’t have to dispose of leftovers. Read labels and follow all directions on household chemicals and other hazardous products used around your home.

Check your car, boat, motorcycle, other machinery and equipment for leaks/spills. Place drip pans under leaking vehicles/equipment and make repairs as soon as possible. Clean up spilled fluids with an absorbent material, such as kitty litter or sand, and properly dispose of the material. Please, do not allow spills to soak into the ground or rinse spills into a nearby storm drain.

Have a private well? Incorporate the following drinking water protection tips:

1. Slope the area around the well so that surface water drains away from the well.
2. Do not locate any potential pollutant activity up slope or near the well.
3. Keep accurate records of any well maintenance, such as disinfection or sediment removal, that might require the use of chemicals in the well.
4. Use a licensed water well driller for any new well construction, modification or proper well abandonment.
5. Do not use wells for disposal of any chemicals, wash water or other materials.

Properly plug and abandon water wells that are no longer in use.

A quick check for leaks might save you unnecessarily high water and sewer bills. There are a few simple tricks to check for leaks.

The Water Meter: A Leak-Detection Tool.

You can check for leaks in your home by following this simple procedure.

1. Turn off all water inside and outside of the property.
2. Locate your water meter, jot down the reading, and note the position of the 10-gallon red indicator, if present.
3. Wait 20-30 minutes and read the meter again.

If the indicator or numbers on the dial position changed, there is likely a leak somewhere in your plumbing system.

A leaking toilet can be the single most common leak source in your home, resulting in the loss of dozens of gallons per day. With most Americans paying about a penny per gallon for water, a leak that wastes 1,000 gallons a month can increase a monthly water bill by $10.

Fortunately, it’s very easy to determine if your toilet is leaking by asking yourself the following questions: Do you find yourself jiggling the handle to stop noise? Do you hear strange, intermittent noises from the toilet?

If you answered yes to either question, your toilet is probably leaking. Toilets generally leak for two reasons. First, if the float assembly is not shutting off the water, it allows the water to escape into the overflow pipe. This problem can often be remedied by adjusting the float ball. Second, if the flush ball is worn or not seated properly, water will leak into the toilet bowl. Check for possible flush ball leakage by using food color or a dye tablet. Here’s how:

• Drop the food color or dye tablet into the toilet tank. DO NOT FLUSH.
• Wait 15 to 20 minutes.
• If color appears in the toilet, you know the toilet is leaking and necessary repairs should be made.

It’s important to remember that leaks don’t disappear. While some occur only intermittently, like when the toilet is flushed, leaks very often become worse rapidly. Most leaks are continuous and run 24 hours a day. That’s 720 hours in a one-month billing period and 8,760 hours a year!

If your toilet isn’t the culprit, you might have a leak in your hot water faucet. This leak can be doubly expensive because you’re wasting the water and the energy used to heat it. If your faucet drips after being turned off firmly, turn off the supply line. Take the faucet apart and replace the washer. 

Check out our Guides & Tips page for more helpful information.