Water efficiency is important in Hampton Roads because water supply is such a critical issue in Hampton Roads, a region that includes 16 cities and counties and is home to over 1.4 million people. Hampton Roads is an area vulnerable to drought conditions due to two major factors: limited drainage from small tributary watersheds into the region's water supply reservoirs, as well as the excessive use and saltwater intrusion of ground water. In recent years, the Hampton Roads region has experienced drought conditions and water shortages in 1977, 1980-81, 1986, 1993 and 2002.

Developing and maintaining safe and reliable water supply sources is expensive. The water utilities in Hampton Roads estimate that they will have spent more than one billion dollars during the last quarter of this century on major supply, infrastructure and regulatory requirements. This figure includes the costs of developing new water supply sources to meet the region's growing demand for water, as well as the costs of meeting the environmental requirements of the Clean Water Act and the Safe Drinking Water Act in order to improve drinking water quality.

Checking Your Home for Leaks

Leaks are the number one cause of water waste around the home. Even a small drip can waste 50 gallons of water a day! Follow these simple steps to ensure that your home is water-tight! Fixing leaks means less water wasted and more money saved!

An easy way to see if you have a leak at home is to check your water meter, which is located in your yard or driveway. It's simple, and it only takes a few minutes to do!

Locate your water meter.

• Turn off ALL faucets and taps, and DO NOT flush any of the toilets in your home until the check is completed.

• Check your meter, and make a note of the reading.

• After 30 minutes has passed, check your meter again. If the meter reading has changed, you've got a leak to repair!

• Check your water line connections and faucets, both indoors and out, for leaks. Tighten the connections if necessary, and replace any worn-out washers.

• Check all of your toilets for leaks. A leaking toilet can waste as many as 100 gallons of water a day! Follow these simple steps:

• Put a few drops of food coloring into the tank. DO NOT FLUSH. Wait ten minutes, taking care not to flush the toilet. When ten minutes has passed, check the water in the bowl. If any of the color you placed in the tank appears in the bowl, you've got a leak to repair!

Large Consumer Water Audit Procedure

A Water Audit Procedure has been developed by the Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Water Use Planning to help large water consumers estimate the energy and water savings as a result of installing low flow plumbing fixtures such as toilets, showerheads, and facets. The procedure is intended to serve as a guide for facility management personnel who wish to conduct their own audit.