10,000

Number of gallons of water the average American family wastes every year because of dripping faucets, running toilets, and other plumbing leaks, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which estimates that more than a trillion gallons of water leak from American homes every year. (Find more wasted-water stats from the EPA.)

To help you find drips and leaks and make the necessary repairs in your home, the EPA is putting on events and programs across the country as part of Fix a Leak Week, which run through March 21. If you can't make it to a Fix a Leak Week event, check out the EPA's step-by-step instructions for fixing toilets, faucets, showerheads, and outdoor-irrigation systems.

—Celia Kuperszmid Lehrman

Essential information: If your toilet or showerhead is more than 15 years old you can save water and money by installing a new water-saving toilet or low-flow showerhead. Our latest report on toilets found that many single-flush toilets outperformed dual-flush models and our review of low-flow showerheads featured some that provide a nice strong flow and can save you money. If you're looking for a new, efficient water heater, read our review of the GE GeoSpring electric heat-pump water heater.