Tallinna Vesi: A Small Water Leak Can Grow Into a Major Cost During Summer Vacation

A leaking toilet cistern can waste over 40 bathtubs of water during a two-week vacation and bring home an unexpectedly large water bill upon return. Marti Vaksmann, head of pipe planning and construction at Tallinn Water, explains what should be checked around the house before a long trip to ensure the plumbing is in order and unpleasant surprises are avoided.

During summer vacations, many homes are left empty for several weeks, and small water leaks can grow into significant costs during that time without being noticed. To prevent most problems, it is sufficient to take a couple of minutes before departure to review the water system.

Check the toilet cistern operation

One of the most common unnoticed water wasters in an empty home is a quietly leaking toilet cistern. A dripping tap uses up to 55 liters of water per day, while a leaking toilet cistern uses over 400 liters. Over a two-week vacation, this amounts to more than 5,600 liters or nearly 40 bathtubs of water.

"The easiest way is to listen before departure to see if the toilet cistern is completely silent. If water flowing or a quiet hissing sound can be heard from the tank, it indicates a leak in the cistern. People may not notice this on a daily basis due to background noise," Vaksmann explained.

Check other water points as well

In addition, before a longer trip, other water points should also be checked. In apartment buildings, this mainly concerns the kitchen and bathroom, but in townhouses and detached homes, attention should also be paid to the garden tap, which may leak unnoticed. If the home has an automatic watering system, the timers and settings should be reviewed.

Close the main stopcock

When leaving home for an extended period, the apartment's main stopcock should be closed. It is usually located in the bathroom or kitchen cabinet. Closing the main stopcock stops water supply to the apartment's plumbing and helps prevent a situation where thousands of liters of water flow out in case of a leak.

"The location of the main stopcock should be known to every apartment owner. If you don't know where it is, you should ask your homeowners' association and locate the stopcock before traveling," Vaksmann recommended.

To date, over 86% of Tallinn Water's customers are equipped with smart meters, which will make it possible to detect unusually high water consumption faster in the future.

After vacation, run fresh water through the plumbing

When returning home from a longer vacation, the first thing to do is open the water taps that have not been in use. This replaces the water that has been standing in the plumbing with fresh drinking water.

"If water has been standing in the apartment or house plumbing for weeks, it is no longer fresh. Therefore, we recommend opening unused taps after a long absence and letting the water run for a bit," Vaksmann explained.