American Water is leveraging the nationwide awareness campaign taking place during the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Fix a Leak Week to advance local water conservation goals as well as provide a savings to homeowners, property owners and businesses in the communities it serves. The annual Fix a Leak Week (March 14-22, 2022) is a national campaign led by the EPA each year that helps raise awareness about leaks and other water issues that contribute to water waste within homes.

“As part of American Water's commitment to help better serve customers, we utilize Fix a Leak Week to help people understand where and how to spot common problematic leaks to help improve home safety and support water efficiency and conservation,” said David Choate, vice president of engineering, American Water.

According to the EPA, the average residence in the U.S. loses 10,000 gallons of water per year thanks to seemingly minor leaks. With more than 110 million households in the U.S., this equates to more than one trillion gallons of water lost every year due to leaks in the home. Moreover, it is estimated that the average homeowner can reduce his or her water bills by 10 percent simply by addressing leaks.

“Many people may not realize that even the smallest leaks can waste thousands of gallons per year,” said Choate. "The average leaks in a home can account for 10,000 gallons of water wasted annually. For example, at a rate of one drip per second, a faucet can waste more than 3,000 gallons of water per year. Fortunately, most common leaks are easily detectable and correctable.”

American Water is committed to fixing leaks by replacing or upgrading water infrastructure to provide safe, clean, reliable, and affordable drinking water to customers, with plans to invest approximately $28 to $32 billion over the next 10 years.

American Water also offers these starter tips for detecting leaks:

• Watch the water meter and your water bill. If you notice a spike, it might be because of a leak
• Test your meter. If you suspect you may have a leak, turn all water appliances off, then go check your meter. If it’s still changing, you might have a leak
• Test your toilet. Leaks can occur in your toilet. Test for one by putting a drop of food coloring into the toilet tank. After 10 minutes, if any color shows up in the bowl, you have a leak
• Listen. One of the simplest ways to watch out for leaks is to listen for dripping from your faucets or showerheads and running water from your toilet

To further assist customers with at-home leak repairs and prevention, American Water has also produced a helpful infographic including tips on finding and fixing common, and some not-so-common, indoor and outdoor water leaks. A downloadable leak detection kit is also available through American Water’s website, www.amwater.com.

About American Water

With a history dating back to 1886, American Water (NYSE: AWK) is the largest and most geographically diverse U.S. publicly traded water and wastewater utility company. The company employs more than 6,400 dedicated professionals who provide regulated and regulated-like drinking water and wastewater services to more than 14 million people in 24 states. American Water provides safe, clean, affordable, and reliable water services to our customers to help keep their lives flowing. For more information, visit amwater.com and follow American Water on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

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