City of Thousand Oaks and County of Ventura Team with California American Water and United States Environmental Protection Agency for Fix a Leak Week

NEWBURY PARK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The city of Thousand Oaks and the County of Ventura will proclaim March 12-18, “Fix a Leak Week,” to remind residents to check household plumbing fixtures and irrigation systems for leaks.

Because minor water leaks account for more than one trillion gallons of water wasted each year in U.S. homes, the EPA launched “Fix a Leak Week” in order to raise awareness of water waste and water-wise practices. California American Water is partnering with the EPA’s “Fix a Leak Week” program and local municipalities in its Ventura County service district to encourage their residents to repair dripping faucets, running toilets, and leaky showerheads.

“The water shortages we face in California are significant and persistent. Leaks can account for an average of 10,000 gallons of water wasted in the home every year, or enough to fill a backyard swimming pool,” said Al Yañez, California American Water’s Ventura County operations manager. “The bright side is that a significant amount of water waste can be eliminated through some very simple steps and easy-to-do repairs at home. California American Water has made great strides in educating our customers on residential water conservation and we look at ‘Fix a Leak Week’ as an opportunity to enhance this important mission.”

To help consumers across the country save water, the WaterSense program promotes ways to identify and repair dripping faucets, running toilets, and leaky showerheads. In most cases, fixture replacement parts can be installed by do-it-yourselfers and pay for themselves in no time. By raising awareness in our partnership with the EPA WaterSense program, water conservation not only saves our customers money, but it also helps to preserve the environment and meet future water needs.

California American Water recommends the following tips to help save water lost by leaks:

• Regularly check your toilet, faucets, and pipes for leaks. California American Water offers leak detection kits, which are available at its local office located at 2439 West Hillcrest Drive, Newbury Park, between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4 p.m., or by calling 805-498-1266, ext. 7815.
• Reduce faucet leaks by checking faucet washers and gaskets for wear and replace them, or, if necessary, replace the faucet with a WaterSense labeled model.
• Leaky toilets are most often the result of a worn toilet flapper. Replacing the rubber flapper is a quick fix that could save a home up to 200 gallons of water per day.
• For a leaky garden hose, replace the nylon or rubber hose washer and ensure a tight connection to the spigot using pipe tape and a wrench.
• Tighten connections on your showerheads if drips appear when the shower is off.
• Check your garden and lawn irrigation system for leaks, or hire a certified WaterSense expert to check it for you.

If homeowners have to replace a plumbing fixture, EPA reminds them to look for the WaterSense label. WaterSense labeled toilets and faucets have been independently tested and certified to save water and perform as well as or better than standard models. WaterSense also partners with certified landscape irrigation auditors, designers, installers, and maintenance professionals with water-efficiency knowledge; see www.epa.gov/watersense to find a WaterSense irrigation partner in your area. For more information on Fix a Leak Week, visit http://www.epa.gov/watersense/our_water/fix_a_leak.html.

WaterSense, a partnership program sponsored by the EPA, seeks to protect the future of our nation’s water supply by offering people a simple way to use less water with water-efficient products, new homes, and services. Since the program’s inception in 2006, WaterSense has helped consumers save 125 billion gallons of water and $2 billion in water and energy bills. For more information, visit www.epa.gov/watersense.

California American Water, a wholly owned subsidiary of American Water (NYSE: AWK), provides high-quality and reliable water and/or wastewater services to approximately 600,000 people. California American Water’s Ventura County service district includes approximately 20,000 households and businesses and serves a population of approximately 60,000 in the cities of Camarillo, Thousand Oaks, and the community of Newbury Park as well as unincorporated portions of Ventura County.

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 7,000 dedicated professionals who provide drinking water, wastewater and other related services to an estimated 15 million people in more than 30 states and parts of Canada. More information can be found by visiting www.amwater.com.