News Center Home
The original item was published from 12/20/2016 11:42:15 AM to 12/20/2016 11:43:10 AM.

News Center

NewsFlash

Posted on: December 20, 2016

[ARCHIVED] Be on the lookout for leaks this holiday season!

As family and friends gather together, we remind you to check and make sure water is not being wasted

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

CONTACT: Mike McGill

(910) 332-6704

After Hours: (910) 622-8472

mike.mcgill@cfpua.org  


Wilmington, NC (December 20, 2016): As families and friends gather together to celebrate the holidays, Cape Fear Public Utility Authority (CFPUA) wants to take this opportunity to remind everyone to be on the lookout for water leaks this time of year. While many of us think that cold weather is required for a leak to happen this time of year, greater use of a home’s plumbing by family and friends can also cause minor leaks to occur without your knowledge, leading to wasting of water and higher bills.


In our customer brochure, Waste Not, Pay Not, CFPUA provides our customers with a variety of tips to follow, both inside and outside of your home, to prevent leaks. For the holidays, we’ll focus on the indoor leaks:

  • For toilets, flush your toilet once completely and wait for five minutes. Add dark food coloring to the tank of the toilet (not the bowl) and do NOT flush. Wait 15-20 minutes and check the bowl. If the dye color has made its way into the bowl, you may have a leak. To repair a toilet leak, we suggest this video from ConserveH20: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NH7HvlYEoYs. After the repair is made, you can check your work by using the same dye test.
  • For sinks and showers, make sure the flow of the water completely stops when you turn off your faucet. Even the slightest, slowest leak can add up over to a major waste of water. To repair a leaking faucet, we suggest this video from Danco, a plumbing supplier: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wd1psnPYioo. For a leaking shower, we suggest this video, also from Danco: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kz3Td5QKHFA
  • Your clothes washer can also be a culprit. Make sure your connections are tight and dry.
  • Dishwashers can also be a leak spot as well; you should also check to make those connections are tight and dry.

You can read the entire Waste Not, Pay Not brochure here: http://www.cfpua.org/DocumentCenter/View/6446

# # #

Cape Fear Public Utility Authority (CFPUA) was formed by the City of Wilmington and New Hanover County to combine their water and sewer operations. It began operations on July 1, 2008. Today, the Authority serves more than 65,000 water customer accounts and more than 67,000 wastewater customer accounts. It oversees more than 1,000 miles of water distribution mains and nearly 1,000 miles of sewer mains. For more information, visit www.cfpua.org.

Facebook Twitter Email

Other News in NewsFlash

VeteransDayImage

CFPUA closed for Veterans Day

Posted on: November 5, 2025
Work zone traffic sign

Closure Begins 11/10 on Mt. Misery Road in Brunswick County for Water Main Work

Posted on: October 28, 2025 | Last Modified on: October 28, 2025
An image showing a water tower in Wrightsville Beach.

CFPUA-Wrightsville Beach Consolidation in Effect September 30

Posted on: September 30, 2025 | Last Modified on: September 30, 2025