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Iowa American Water Helps Educate Customers During EPA’s Fix a Leak Week, March 14-20

Iowa American Water is leveraging the nationwide awareness campaign taking place during the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Fix a Leak Week to highlight water conservation tips for homeowners, property owners and businesses in the communities it serves. The annual Fix a Leak Week (March 14-20, 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 Iowa 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 Brad Nielsen, vice president of operations for Iowa 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,” Nielsen said. “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.”

Iowa American Water is committed to fixing leaks by replacing or upgrading water infrastructure to provide safe, clean, reliable, and affordable drinking water to customers. In 2021, Iowa American Water invested over $22 million in water system infrastructure improvement projects in the communities it serves.

Iowa American Water also offers these starter tips for detecting leaks:

  • Watch your water bill. If you notice a spike, it might be because of 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, Iowa 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 (in English and Spanish) through Iowa American Water’s website at www.iowaamwater.com under Water Information - Detecting Leaks.

Iowa American Water, a subsidiary of American Water (NYSE: AWK), is the largest investor-owned water utility in the state, providing high-quality and reliable water services to approximately 215,000 people. For more information, visit www.iowaamwater.com and follow Iowa American Water on Twitter and Facebook.


Media Contacts

Lisa Reisen

External Affairs Manager

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lisa.reisen@amwater.com