Fix-a-Leak Week Savings

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There’s no better time than Fix a Leak Week to track down household leaks that waste more than ONE TRILLION gallons of water nationwide each year. Here’s what you can do when your home plumbing takes a leak.
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Check your meter 

If your home or business has its own water meter, your water meter is a great place to start checking for leaks. By looking at the leak detection dial on the meter, you can check for leaks you can’t easily see or hear. 

Check your toilets 

Toilets are the most common source of leaks. If you’re unsure about how to check your toilet, don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. It only takes a few minutes! 

  1. Remove your toilet tank lid. 

  1. Drop ten drops of food coloring into the tank. 

  1. Put the lid back on and don’t flush. 

  1. Wait twenty minutes. 

  1. Check your toilet bowl. If you see colored water, you have a leak. If not, you don’t.   

  1. Check again in six months. It’s good to check at least twice a year to catch leaks before they get bad.   

Don’t have food coloring around? Order a conservation kit and we’ll send you a set of leak detection tablets that you can use instead.  

Fix a flapper in five easy steps 

In the toilet, the flapper is really the magic behind the flush. This rubber or plastic part allows water to “flush” from the tank into the bowl and down the drain. 

showing the inside of a toilet bowl and explainingeach individual part within.

Flappers typically last about five years and are often the source of leaks when they no longer fully seal. You can repair or replace a flapper with these quick, easy steps below. And learn more about flappers with these how-to videos.  

  1. Stop water from entering the toilet by turning the water inlet shutoff valve clockwise. This is the tube that brings clean water into the toilet tank, and it’s often found on the floor below the back of the toilet. 

  1. Flush the toilet to drain the tank.  

  1. Check the flapper to make sure it lines up with the valve seat. If it doesn’t line up, you’ll need to buy a new one. Replacement flappers can easily be purchased at hardware stores and some large grocery stores. Take your old flapper with you to make sure you get one that fits.  

  1. Attach the new flapper. Hook the chain in a position where it rests without pulling the flapper up (causing a leak) or hanging over the edge.  

  1. After installing the new flapper valve, flush to test.

Replace your toilet for a rebate! 

If repair isn’t the answer, the Portland Water Bureau offers a $50* rebate to replace your old toilet with a water-efficient model. Learn more about our toilet rebate program.  

*Single-family residential customers enrolled in the bill discount program are eligible for a rebate of $100 per toilet. 

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