New Jersey American Water Reminds Customers That Each Drop Adds Up During Fix a Leak Week
New Jersey American Water Reminds Customers That Each Drop Adds Up During Fix a Leak Week
CAMDEN, N.J. – MAR. 17, 2020 – New Jersey American Water and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are marking the annual Fix a Leak Week, which runs from March 16-22. The national campaign, part of the EPA’s WaterSense program, helps to raise 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, showerhead, toilet, or other appliance can collectively result in a tremendous amount of wasted water. With the average residence losing 10,000 gallons a year, this means that more than a trillion gallons of water are lost annually nationwide through leaks occurring within homes. Through initiatives like Fix a Leak Week, the hope is that by prompting action, that amount can be significantly reduced.
“Most people may not realize that even the smallest leaks can waste thousands of gallons per year, which has an impact on water bills,” said Tom Shroba, New Jersey American Water Vice President of Operations. “For the approximately 670,000 customer properties we serve in New Jersey, that means collectively up to 6.7 billion gallons of treated water – enough to fill up MetLife Stadium about seven times – are being lost to household leaks annually. Fortunately, most common household leaks are easily correctable, and can be incorporated as part of spring cleaning routines.”
To assist customers with at-home leak repairs and prevention, New Jersey American Water has produced helpful infographics that include tips on finding and fixing common, and some not-so-common, indoor and outdoor water leaks. A downloadable leak detection kit is also available on the company’s website, www.newjerseyamwater.com.
Additionally, the EPA WaterSense website has great resources for families to use in finding and fixing leaks together, including a Ten-Minute WaterSense Challenge and a kids’ education page with a Test Your WaterSense interactive game.
On an institutional level, New Jersey American Water is committed to finding and fixing leaks by using innovative leak detection technology and replacing or upgrading water pipelines that have reached the end of their useful life. The company’s operations and engineering teams are using acoustic monitoring to find and fix leaks before they lead to main breaks. This technology has helped the company achieve an average 17 percent water loss statewide, compared to other water utility averages of 25 to 30 percent. In 2019 alone, the company’s industry-leading leak detection efforts saved losses of more than 5 million gallons of water per day – enough to fill up seven and a half Olympic size swimming pools – and provided savings of up to $4 million.
This technology, along with replacing aging pipelines and upgrading treatment and distribution facilities, is included in the approximately $350 million in annual capital investments New Jersey American Water makes to continue to provide clean, safe, reliable water to customers.
About New Jersey American Water
New Jersey 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 2.8 million people. For more information, visit www.newjerseyamwater.com and follow New Jersey American Water on Twitter and Facebook.
About American Water
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 6,800 dedicated professionals who provide regulated and market-based drinking water, wastewater and other related services to 15 million people in 46 states. American Water provides safe, clean, affordable and reliable water services to our customers to make sure we keep their lives flowing. For more information, visit amwater.com and follow American Water on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.
Media Contact:
Denise Venuti Free
Director of Communications and External Affairs
856-955-4874
Denise.Free@amwater.com
New Jersey American Water Reminds Customers That Each Drop Adds Up During Fix a Leak Week
CAMDEN, N.J. – MAR. 17, 2020 – New Jersey American Water and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are marking the annual Fix a Leak Week, which runs from March 16-22. The national campaign, part of the EPA’s WaterSense program, helps to raise 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, showerhead, toilet, or other appliance can collectively result in a tremendous amount of wasted water. With the average residence losing 10,000 gallons a year, this means that more than a trillion gallons of water are lost annually nationwide through leaks occurring within homes. Through initiatives like Fix a Leak Week, the hope is that by prompting action, that amount can be significantly reduced.
“Most people may not realize that even the smallest leaks can waste thousands of gallons per year, which has an impact on water bills,” said Tom Shroba, New Jersey American Water Vice President of Operations. “For the approximately 670,000 customer properties we serve in New Jersey, that means collectively up to 6.7 billion gallons of treated water – enough to fill up MetLife Stadium about seven times – are being lost to household leaks annually. Fortunately, most common household leaks are easily correctable, and can be incorporated as part of spring cleaning routines.”
To assist customers with at-home leak repairs and prevention, New Jersey American Water has produced helpful infographics that include tips on finding and fixing common, and some not-so-common, indoor and outdoor water leaks. A downloadable leak detection kit is also available on the company’s website, www.newjerseyamwater.com.
Additionally, the EPA WaterSense website has great resources for families to use in finding and fixing leaks together, including a Ten-Minute WaterSense Challenge and a kids’ education page with a Test Your WaterSense interactive game.
On an institutional level, New Jersey American Water is committed to finding and fixing leaks by using innovative leak detection technology and replacing or upgrading water pipelines that have reached the end of their useful life. The company’s operations and engineering teams are using acoustic monitoring to find and fix leaks before they lead to main breaks. This technology has helped the company achieve an average 17 percent water loss statewide, compared to other water utility averages of 25 to 30 percent. In 2019 alone, the company’s industry-leading leak detection efforts saved losses of more than 5 million gallons of water per day – enough to fill up seven and a half Olympic size swimming pools – and provided savings of up to $4 million.
This technology, along with replacing aging pipelines and upgrading treatment and distribution facilities, is included in the approximately $350 million in annual capital investments New Jersey American Water makes to continue to provide clean, safe, reliable water to customers.
About New Jersey American Water
New Jersey 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 2.8 million people. For more information, visit www.newjerseyamwater.com and follow New Jersey American Water on Twitter and Facebook.
About American Water
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 6,800 dedicated professionals who provide regulated and market-based drinking water, wastewater and other related services to 15 million people in 46 states. American Water provides safe, clean, affordable and reliable water services to our customers to make sure we keep their lives flowing. For more information, visit amwater.com and follow American Water on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.
Media Contact:
Denise Venuti Free
Director of Communications and External Affairs
856-955-4874
Denise.Free@amwater.com