Illinois American Water is partnering with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to promote the 9th Annual Fix a Leak Week, which runs from March 20-26. The national campaign, part of the EPA’s WaterSense program, raises awareness about small leaks and other water that may be inadvertently wasted within homes.

With more than 110 million households in this country, a seemingly minor leak from a faucet, toilet, or showerhead 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, with the average residence losing 10,000 gallons a year this way. However, through initiatives like Fix a Leak Week, local companies like Illinois American Water, are hoping to significantly reduce that amount.

“Even the smallest leaks can waste thousands of gallons per year, which has an impact on your water bill,” said Randy Pankiewicz, Director of Water Quality and Environmental Compliance for Illinois American Water. “Fortunately, most common leaks are correctable with only a few tools and small hardware that can pay for themselves in water savings. And being proactive in checking for leaks, and fixing them in a timely manner can easily be incorporated as part of spring cleaning.”

Illinois American Water invests $60-$100 million annually in infrastructure improvements to replace or upgrade water and wastewater infrastructure, fix leaks and provide clean, safe, reliable water to our customers. And to assist customers with at-home leak repairs and prevention, Illinois American Water has produced a helpful infographic as a quick guide for finding and fixing common, and some not-so-common, indoor and outdoor water leaks. The graphic and downloadable leak detection kit are available at www.illinoisamwater.com under Water information and Wise Water Use.

About Illinois American Water

Illinois 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 and/or wastewater services to approximately 1.3 million people. American Water also operates a customer service center in Alton and a quality control and research laboratory in Belleville.

With a history dating back to 1886, American Water is the largest and most geographically diverse U.S. publicly-traded water and wastewater utility company. The company employs more than 6,700 dedicated professionals who provide regulated and market-based drinking water, wastewater and other related services to an estimated 15 million people in 47 states and Ontario, Canada. More information can be found by visiting www.amwater.com.