Missouri American Water, USEPA want to help find, fix water leaks

Missouri American Water and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) want to inform customers on ways to identify and fix water leaks in their home or place of business during “Fix a Leak Week,” which began today.

According to the USEPA, the average home’s leaks result in nearly 10,000 gallons of water wasted per year, which is enough to wash more than 300 loads of laundry. Fixing leaks can reduce water bills by approximately 10 percent, according to the USEPA. In residences, the two most common leaks come from faucets and toilets.

“Common household leaks are often easy to fix, and doing so conserves water and saves money,” said Jeff Kaiser, Vice President of Operations for Missouri American Water. “The financial impact of ignoring a minor leak can become significant over time and is often underestimated—every drop adds up.”

Missouri American Water offers these helpful tips for detecting leaks:

•  Monitor usage on your water bill. If you notice a spike and you haven’t recently
  increased your usage, like watering your lawn or filling a swimming pool, it might be
  because of a leak.
•  Test your toilet. Leaks can occur in your toilet and are frequently due to an old or worn
  out flapper. Test for a leak 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.
• Check faucet gaskets. Check faucet gaskets and pipe fittings for surface leaks,
  ndicated by water on the exterior of the pipes, at least once a season and especially
  after extreme temperature changes.
• Listen. One of the simplest ways to watch out for leaks is to listen for running water from your toilet and dripping from your faucets or showerheads.
• Check in-ground irrigation systems and hoses. Make sure they weren’t damaged byfrost or freezing. An irrigation system that has a leak the size of a dime can waste about 6,300 gallons per month.
• Download a Leak Detection Kit. Visit missouriamwater.com → Water & Wastewater Information → Detecting Leaks, and click the link to download our easy-to-follow leak detection kit.

Missouri American Water is also proactively replacing and upgrading aging water mains in its distribution system to reduce leaks and breaks. Statewide, the company is investing approximately $425 million this year in water and wastewater system improvements.

To see projects near you visit missouriamwater.com and click on Pipe Replacement Map.

Additional information and helpful tips to spot leaks and use water wisely can also be found on the USEPA’s WaterSense website: epa.gov/watersense