Missouri American Water Partners with EPA for Fix a Leak Week

ST. LOUIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Missouri American Water joins the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to promote the seventh annual Fix a Leak Week, March 16-20. The national awareness campaign, part of the EPA's WaterSense program, is designed to raise awareness about small leaks and other water waste occurring in homes.

"Picture a hole the size of the period in this sentence. It may not seem like much, but in your water system, it can waste more than 4,000 gallons a month — enough for a shower every day. Being proactive in checking for leaks, and fixing them quickly not only makes you a more environmentally conscious consumer of one of the world's most valuable resources, but also saves money on your water bill," said Frank Kartmann, Missouri American Water President.

A guide to finding and fixing leaks is available at www.missouriamwater.com on the Learning Center tab. Taking a quick leak tour of your home can help you identify and stop water waste.

• Look at your last water bill. Heavy usage during winter months sometimes means that you have leaks. EPA says that if a family of four exceeds 12,000 gallons per month in usage, there are likely serious leaks.
• Listen for a toilet leak. Worn flappers are often the cause of toilet leaks. Replacing a worn rubber flapper is a quick fix that can save a home from 30 to 300 gallons per day.
• Stop drippy faucets and showers. Old and worn faucet washers and gaskets frequently cause leaks in faucets. Many tutorials are available online for how to fix a wide variety of faucets.
• Find the toughest leak. It may be in homes that have underground sprinkler systems. It's a good idea to have a professional check them now for leaks, before summer begins. Now is also a good time to make sure your backflow preventer is working.
• Consider installing water efficient appliances. The EPA reports that WaterSense appliances are about 20 percent more water efficient than comparable products.

Missouri American Water

Missouri American Water, a subsidiary of American Water AWK, is the largest investor-owned water utility in the state, providing high-quality and reliable water and/or wastewater services to approximately 1.5 million 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 approximately 6,400 dedicated professionals who provide drinking water, wastewater and other related services to an estimated 15 million people in more than 45 states and parts of Canada. More information can be found by visiting www.amwater.com.

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