Find and repair leaks during 'Fix a Leak Week,'
March 18-24
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[March 20, 2013]
BELLEVILLE
-- Illinois American Water has partnered with the
Environmental Protection Agency to promote its annual "Fix a Leak
Week" campaign, March 18-24. Little leaks can be a big problem. The
average American household can waste 11,000 gallons of water each
year due to running toilets, faucets and common household leaks.
These minor leaks account for more than 1 trillion gallons of water
wasted each year in U.S. homes, according to the EPA.
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Created five years ago by the EPA, Fix a Leak Week brings awareness
to homeowners to check plumbing fixtures and irrigation systems for
small leaks and other water waste that may be occurring within their
homes. Small, leaky faucets and garden hoses may not seem like a big
problem to an individual homeowner. However, these minor leaks add
up to vast amounts of water wasted each year.
Through the Fix a Leak Week campaign, Illinois American Water is
encouraging its customers to repair dripping faucets, running
toilets and leaky showerheads. Illinois American Water recommends
using the following tips to help detect and repair leaks:
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Reduce faucet
leaks by checking faucet washers and gaskets for wear and, if
necessary, replace the faucet with a WaterSense-labeled model.
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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.
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Landscape irrigation systems should be
checked each spring before use to make sure they were not
damaged over the winter and should be checked monthly when in
use.
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Generally, these leaks are very small and are easy and
inexpensive to repair and can save thousands of gallons of water per
household each year.
For more information on Fix a Leak Week, visit
www.epa.gov/watersense/fixaleak. In addition, customers can
follow Illinois American Water on Facebook and Twitter to receive
water service updates throughout the year.
Illinois American Water, a subsidiary of American Water (NYSE:
AWK), is the largest investor-owned water utility in the state,
providing water or wastewater services to more than 1.2 million
people.
[Text from file received from
Illinois American Water]
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