Virginia American Water Partners with EPA for "Fix a Leak Week"

Did you know that residential leaks result in a trillion-plus gallons of water lost each year?

Virginia American Water has partnered with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to promote the fifth annual Fix a Leak Week, which runs from March 18-24. The national awareness campaign, part of the EPA’s WaterSense program, is designed to raise awareness about small leaks and other water waste that may be occurring within homes.

With more than 110 million households in this country, a seemingly minor leaky faucet or running toilet collectively results in a tremendous amount of wasted water.  More than a trillion gallons of water are lost annually nationwide through leaks occurring within our homes, with the average residence losing 11,000 gallons a year this way. However, through Fix a Leak Week, Virginia American Water joins EPA and other companies in hoping to significantly reduce that amount.

“Leaks as small as an eighth of an inch can waste up to 3,500 gallons of water per day.  When you are proactive in checking for leaks, and fix them in a timely manner, you are a more environmentally conscious consumer of one of our most valuable resources, and you also save money on your monthly water bill,” said Virginia American Water President William R. Walsh.

To assist customers with at-home leak repairs and prevention, Virginia American Water has produced a helpful guide for detecting common, and some not-so-common, indoor and outdoor water leaks. Leak detection kits (which include a non-toxic leak detection tablet for your toilet tank) are available by calling the American Water Customer Service Center at 1-800-678-6301 or by clicking here for a downloadable pdf version.

Virginia American Water also offers the following tips to help save water lost by leaks:

• Regularly check your toilet, faucets, and pipes for leaks. 
• Reduce faucet leaks by checking faucet washers and gaskets for wear and replace them, or if necessary, replace the faucet with a WaterSense-labeled model.
• Leaky toilets are most often the result of a worn toilet flapper. Replacing the rubber flapper is a quick fix that could save a home up to 200 gallons of water a day.
• For a leaky garden hose, replace the nylon or rubber hose washer and ensure a tight connection to the spigot using pipe tape and a wrench.
• Tighten connections on your showerheads if drips appear when the shower is off.
• Check your garden and lawn irrigation system for leaks, or hire a certified WaterSense expert to check it for you.
• Consider installing water and energy-efficient appliances. The EPA reports that certified Energy Star washing machines use up to 35 percent less water per load.  Water-saving shower heads, toilets and faucet aerators also help curb water use.

Virginia American Water, a subsidiary of American Water (NYSE: AWK), is the largest investor-owned water utility in the state, providing high-quality and reliable water services to more than 300,000 people. Founded in 1886, American Water is the largest publicly traded U.S. water and wastewater utility company.  With headquarters in Voorhees, N.J., the company employs more than approximately 6,700 dedicated professionals who provide drinking water, wastewater and other related services to an estimated 14 million people in more than 30 states and parts of Canada. More information can be found by visiting www.amwater.com.

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