March 17, 2025

A Leaking Toilet Can Waste 6,000 Gallons and Cost $100 a Day

DEP is Contacting Customers With Unusually High Water Usage, Distributing Water Conservation Kits and Answering Questions at Customer Service Offices in all Five Boroughs

In observance of National “Fix a Leak Week,” the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is encouraging New Yorkers to identify and repair household water leaks. To help residents do that, the agency is proactively reaching out to notify customers with unusually high water usage that they may have a leak. Additionally, DEP is providing resources to help customers conserve water, including leak detection dye tablets to identify leaky faucets, toilets, and pipes, and a home water conservation kit. Customers can also sign up for leak notifications with the online My DEP Account, which can send alerts when water usage suddenly spikes—something that usually indicates a leak. To learn more about easy and inexpensive household water conservation solutions, check out this new public service announcement: “How to Save Water in Your Home.”

“Our world-class drinking water is NYC’s best bargain, but wasteful household leaks can lead to big costs for New Yorkers,” said DEP Commissioner Rohit T. Aggarwala. “The My DEP Account provides customers with real-time updates on their water use and allows us to quickly alert them to suspected leaks or unusually high consumption. This valuable tool saves New Yorkers money and supports the city’s ongoing efforts to conserve water.”

Nationwide, household leaks waste over 1 trillion gallons of water annually—the equivalent to normal water use of more than 11 million homes each year. A faucet that drips just once per second can waste more than 3,000 gallons a year; a continuously running toilet can waste up to 6,000 gallons a day and cost customers upwards of $100 a day.

During “Fix a Leak Week,” DEP staff will be distributing home conservation kits. Each kit contains water-saving tools such as low-flow shower heads, faucet aerators that add air to water, a toilet tank bank to reduce water used to flush, and leak-detector dye tablets to help customers find hard-to-see leaks. These items are easy to install and use, so New Yorkers can do it themselves and start saving water immediately. Kits will be available at the following DEP customer service offices in all five boroughs (while supplies last):

• March 17, 10am–2pm—Bronx: 1932 Arthur Avenue, 6th Floor
• March 18, 10am–2pm—Manhattan: 55 West 125th Street, 9th Floor
• March 19, 10am–2pm—Staten Island: 60 Bay Street, 6th Floor
• March 20, 10am–2pm—Queens & Brooklyn: 96-05 Horace Harding Expressway, Lobby, and 250 Livingston Street, 8th Floor

To help ensure accurate billing for our customers, DEP is also upgrading over 600,000 meter-reading devices citywide over the next three years. These small gray boxes, attached to the exterior of properties, wirelessly transmit water consumption data to DEP in real time. This allows customers to view detailed usage information and detect leaks faster, reducing water loss and saving them money.

All customers are urged to sign up for My DEP Account, the centralized online portal for managing all DEP accounts. In addition to paying bills online, customers can track their water usage and sign up for leak alerts. Significant increases in daily water usage over time may indicate a leak, which is not only wasteful but can also lead to high water bills.

Here are some simple ways to check for leaks:

1. Toilets: Open the tank and listen for water movement or a hissing sound. Alternatively, drop food coloring into the tank and wait for the color to appear in the bowl, indicating a leak.
2. Faucets, sprinklers, and hose connections: Ensure they aren’t dripping or running when not in use.
3. Water meters: Water meters are located inside a property. If no water is being used on the property but meter dials are moving, there may be a leak.

If you find a leak, it’s important to fix it immediately. Consider consulting a licensed plumber to help identify the source of the leak and make the necessary repairs. Property owners may qualify for DEP’s Leak Forgiveness Program, which provides financial relief while encouraging water conservation. To learn more, visit nyc.gov/dep/leaks or call the customer service office at 718-595-7000.

Saving water has become even more important in recent years given climate change and the chance of drought, like the one New York City experienced last fall. New York City is doing its part to conserve water; the City’s average daily water demand has decreased approximately 35% since its peak in 1979 when daily water usage was 1.5 billion gallons. Improved management strategies—system-wide leak detection programs, meter upgrades and online tools for customers—have reduced the average daily demand to just 1.1 billion gallons, and under 1 billion gallons during winter months.

In addition to citywide efforts, DEP works with upstate wholesale water customers, including communities in Orange, Westchester, Putnam, and Ulster counties, to develop water conservation plans aimed at saving water, energy, and money.

About the NYC Department of Environmental Protection

DEP manages New York City’s water supply, providing approximately 1 billion gallons of high-quality drinking water each day to nearly 10 million residents, including 8.3 million in New York City. The water is delivered from a watershed that extends more than 125 miles from the city, comprising 19 reservoirs and three controlled lakes. Approximately 7,000 miles of water mains, tunnels and aqueducts bring water to homes and businesses throughout the five boroughs, and 7,500 miles of sewer lines and 96 pump stations take wastewater to 14 in-city treatment plants. DEP also protects the health and safety of New Yorkers by enforcing the Air and Noise Codes and asbestos rules. DEP has a robust capital program, with a planned $33.3 billion in investments over the next 10 years. For more information, visit nyc.gov/dep, like us on Facebook, or follow us on X, formerly known as Twitter.