Illinois American Water partners with EPA during Fix a Leak Week to help customers

Free materials and information available to help reduce the trillion-plus gallons of water lost in residential leaks every year

[March 19, 2014]  BELLEVILLE — Illinois American Water has partnered with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to promote the sixth annual Fix a Leak Week, which runs March 17-23. The national 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.

Considering there are 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. However, through initiatives like Fix a Leak Week, local companies like Illinois American Water are hoping to significantly reduce that amount.

"The average household's leaks can add up to more than 10,000 gallons of water wasted every year — the same amount of water needed to wash 270 loads of laundry. Being proactive in checking for leaks and fixing them in a timely manner not only makes you a more environmentally conscious consumer of one of the world's most valuable resources, but can also save money on your monthly water bill," said Karla Olson Teasley, Illinois American Water president.

To assist customers with at-home leak repairs and prevention, Illinois American Water offers a helpful guide for detecting common, and some not-so-common, indoor and outdoor water leaks. A leak detection kit (PDF) is available in the Learning Center on the Illinois American Water's website, at www.illinoisamwater.com, under Learning Center and Wise Water Use.

For more information on Fix a Leak Week, visit www.epa.gov/watersense/fixaleak.

[Text from file received from Illinois American Water]

Illinois American Water, a wholly owned subsidiary of American Water (NYSE: AWK), is the largest investor-owned water utility in the state, providing water or wastewater services to approximately 1.2 million people. American Water also operates a customer service center in Alton and a quality control and research laboratory in Belleville.

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 6,600 who provide drinking water, wastewater and other related services to approximately 14 million people in more than 40 states, as well as parts of Canada. For more information, visit www.amwater.com.