Contact: Regina L. Davis, 202-898-9382, rdavis@naruc.org

WASHINGTON (March 20, 2023) — As part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s ongoing We’re for Water campaign during Fix a Leak Week, the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners and its members encourage Americans to help put a stop to the nearly 1 trillion gallons of water wasted from household leaks each year.

Sponsored by EPA’s WaterSense^® program, Fix a Leak Week runs from March 20 through 26, 2023. To help support We’re for Water, NARUC and its members are promoting this awareness campaign to find and fix residential leaks in every community.

Finding and fixing a leak not only saves water, but it also saves money. “Leaks can account for a loss of nearly 10,000 gallons of water in an average home every year. Depending on the utility, this amount of wasted water results in households paying anywhere from $30 to over $100 in extra water bill charges,” said NARUC Committee on Water Chair Jeff Hughes, of the North Carolina Utilities Commission. “As a WaterSense partner, NARUC encourages consumers to find and fix leaks to save water in our communities.”

To help save water for future generations, consumers are urged to follow these steps:

• Check for leaks. Look for dripping faucets, showerheads, sprinklers and other fixtures. Also check for toilets with silent leaks by putting a few drops of food coloring into the tank, waiting 10 minutes and seeing if color appears in the bowl before you flush. Don’t forget to check irrigation systems and spigots too.
• Twist and tighten hose and pipe connections. To save water without a noticeable difference in flow in your bathroom, twist on a WaterSense-labeled faucet aerator.
• Replace the fixture if necessary. Look for WaterSense-labeled models, which are independently certified to use 20 percent less water and perform as well as or better than standard models.

In many cases, fixture replacement parts pay for themselves quickly and can be installed by handy do-it-yourselfers or local plumbing professionals. Irrigation professionals certified through a WaterSense-labeled program can also check your systems for leaks. To find WaterSense- labeled products or an auditor in your area, visit www.epa.gov/watersense.  For more information on Fix a Leak Week, visit www.epa.gov/watersense.   

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WaterSense, a partnership program sponsored by 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 trillions of gallons of water and billions in water and energy bills. For more information, visit www.epa.gov/watersense.

About NARUC
NARUC is a non-profit organization founded in 1889 whose members include the governmental agencies that are engaged in the regulation of utilities and carriers in the fifty states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. NARUC’s member agencies regulate telecommunications, energy, and water utilities. NARUC represents the interests of state public utility commissions before the three branches of the federal government.