Durham Saves Water

An Update For our Customers


The safety and well being of our customers and our employees is always our priority. For this reason, we are temporarily suspending our program of in-home Water Use Assessments at this time. Our Water Efficiency Program staff are still available and happy to consult with customers over the phone to address their water efficiency and leak detection concerns. Staff will still be able to pull data logs from customer meters for analysis to aid in any trouble-shooting (and can be provided via email). Customers can request a phone consultation using our online request form. No fee will be affiliated with the phone consultation.

We will continue to evaluate conditions and hope to return to offering full service Water Use Assessments as soon as we can. In the meantime, we also offer a number of online resources to help customers identify and repair leaks and save water on their own in the content below.  

Thank you for your patience and understanding.

Durham Saves Water is a Department of Water Management site that makes it easy to find valuable information on water-related matters in Durham. The Department of Water Management serves Durham residents by providing high quality drinking water, superior customer service, environmental protection through effective wastewater treatment, infrastructure maintenance and conservation, and by maintaining compliance with all legal and regulatory requirements.

Fix a Leak Week: March 16 - 22, 2020

As part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) ongoing We’re for Water campaign, this year’s Fix a Leak Week encourages Americans to help put a stop to the more than 1 trillion gallons of water wasted from household leaks each year.

Be sure to check out our Fix a Leak Week miniseries, "Leaky Things." A new episode will be released each day during Fix a Leak Week. 




Leaks can account for more than 10,000 gallons of water in an average home every year—the amount of water it takes to wash 270 loads of laundry.As a WaterSense partner, we are encouraging consumers to find and fix leaks to save water in our community.

Like and follow @DurhamWater on Twitter and Facebook for updates on all event opportunities.

To help save water, energy, and lower bills, Durham is also asking consumers to check, twist, and replace:
  • Check for leaks. Look for dripping faucets, showerheads, sprinklers, and other fixtures. Also check for toilets with silent leaks by putting a few drops of food coloring into the tank, waiting 10 minutes, and seeing if color appears in the bowl before you flush. Don’t forget to check irrigation systems and spigots too.
  • Twist and tighten hose and pipe connections. To save water without a noticeable difference in flow in your bathroom, twist on a WaterSense labeled faucet aerator. 
  • Replace the fixture if necessary. Look for WaterSense labeled models, which are independently certified to use 20 percent less water and perform as well as or better than standard models. Water Efficiency Kits are available for $3 at Durham City Hall.
In many cases, fixture replacement parts pay for themselves quickly and can be installed by handy do-it-yourselfers or local plumbing professionals. Irrigation professionals certified through a WaterSense labeled program can also check your systems for leaks. Visit www.epa.gov/watersense to find WaterSense labeled products or an auditor in your area.