Love Your Loo! Celebrate World Toilet Day by Saving Water and Money

Learn How to Check for Toilet Leaks in Three Simple Steps

Protect Your Pipes and Ours:
Flush Only the Three Ps – Pee, Poop and (Toilet) Paper

Written by

Lyn Riggins

Toilet leaks are the leading cause of high water bills. As discussed in the following statistics, the numbers add up quickly, no matter how small or large the leak. For a small leak, which may add 200 gallons per day, you'll add an estimated $451 on top of your regular bill. For a medium leak, which may add 2,000 gallons per day, you'll add an estimated $5,226 on top of your regular bill. For a large leak, which may add 4,000 gallons per day, you'll add an estimated $10,531 on top of your regular bill.

Laurel, Md. – November 19, 2025 – Today is World Toilet Day, and WSSC Water encourages customers to take a moment to appreciate the hardest-working seat in the house and make sure it’s not silently draining your wallet!

While World Toilet Day may come with laughs, the message is serious: toilet leaks are one of the leading causes of high-water bills for WSSC Water customers. A small toilet leak can quietly waste hundreds of gallons a day, adding hundreds of dollars to your normal quarterly bill. A toilet with a large leak can add more than $10,000 on top of your normal bill!

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, most toilet leaks are caused by an old, worn-out flapper. A flapper is an inexpensive part of the toilet that should be checked periodically and replaced at least every five years. When it wears out, water leaks into the bowl. Customers don’t see the water and don’t often hear it, yet a toilet with a worn-out flapper is continuously using water.

How to Check for Toilet Leaks

Checking for toilet leaks is quick and easy. We recommend following these simple steps twice a year:

Remove the lid from the toilet tank.
Drop one dye tablet in the tank. (Request FREE dye tablets, or use a few drops of food coloring or brewed coffee.)
Wait 15 minutes. DO NOT FLUSH!

If you see color in the bowl, then you have a leak. You’ll want to make repairs as soon as possible, either doing it yourself or hiring a Registered Licensed WSSC Water Plumber.

Learn more about saving water and money by repairing toilet leaks.

Loving your loo doesn’t stop with repairing leaks. You also need to make sure you’re flushing ONLY THE THREE Ps!
🚽 Pee
💩 Poop
🧻(Toilet) Paper

Keep the wipes (and everything else) out of the pipes! Many wipes are labeled “flushable,” but they don’t break down like toilet paper. When wipes are flushed, they can cause blockages in sewer pipes. When a sewer pipe on your property gets clogged, you could end up with a messy and expensive sewage backup in your home. In our system, clogged pipes mean wastewater overflows from manholes into the environment, flowing into creeks, streams and ultimately the Chesapeake Bay.

WSSC Water is the proud provider of safe, seamless and satisfying water services, making the essential possible every day for our neighbors in Montgomery and Prince George’s counties. We work to deliver our best because it’s what our customers expect and deserve.