Water conservation can save you money and extend the life of our most valuable resource. Many communities across the country would love to have water in the amounts and of the quality that we have in Kendallville.

It is hard to understand how a small trickle or drip can add up and cause large amounts of waste, and a big water bill!

A lot can be gained by teaching the little ones to turn the water off until they need it. Many children leave the water running while brushing their teeth and even leave the room in search of something while letting the water run down the drain.

Garden hoses and outside faucets are often the culprits of a high water bill. Children often leave a hose on in the grass while the meter keeps counting. Sometimes a sprayer nozzle is sealed at first, but slowly begins to let water pass through a loose connection or bad washer. Other times the hose will fail under pressure and a hole will form in the hose. This can add up quickly. A water hose left fully open can produce usages up to 28,000 gallons per day! It is a good practice to turn the hose off at the faucet when finished using it.

Running toilets can also be a problem. It is not uncommon to see a water usage go up as much as 20,000 gallons a month over a running toilet. You can check your toilet by putting some food coloring in the tank and see if it finds its way to the bowl. If it does, you may have a problem with your toilet tank kit or the rubber flap.

We also have occasional pipes freezing and breaking in the winter. If you are going on vacation in the colder months, you may ask a friend to stop and check on your home. When no one is using the water, it has a better chance of freezing in a cold spot in the basement or crawl space. If you plan on being gone a long time, you may want to shut your water off and have the pipes winterized. A broken pipe can produce flows up to 28,000 gallons per day and can cause thousands of dollars of water damage to your home.

If you have any other tips to share, contact us and we will try to include them at the next update.