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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Binnie Myles

Birmingham Water Works

(205) 244-4220

Birmingham Water Works Addresses Leading Cause of High Water Bills

Fix A Leak Week March 12-18 addresses nation-wide leak epidemic

(BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – March 9, 2012) - Birmingham Water Works customers are not the only ones experiencing high water bills, although the solution to lowering their bill is right inside their home. The U.S. EPA reports that 90 percent of all high water bills in the U.S. are caused by leaks.

“Across the country, household leaks add up to more than 1 trillion gallons of water annually. The amount we’re losing could supply Los Angeles, Chicago and Miami for a full year,” says EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. “We’re not just losing water, we’re also losing the money our communities put into keeping our water clean and healthy. That’s why “Fix a Leak Week is so important.”

Birmingham Water Works and the U.S. EPA are teaming up to educate customers about detecting and repairing common household leaks during “Fix A Leak Week” March 12-18. The EPA estimates that repairing household leaks can cut a customer’s monthly water bill by as much as 10%.

“A high water bill is a tell-tale sign that you have a leak,” says Mac Underwood, BWWB general manager. “Our water rates are regionally competitive, so that’s not the cause of high water bills. Leaks are. Even if we adjust people’s bills, they will be high again the next month and they will continue to climb until they fix the leaks inside their home.”

Birmingham Water Works will offer free leak inspections to 200 of their customers during “Fix A Leak Week” to help customers spot these costly problems, officials say. They will check for leaks inside and outside of the home and replace worn-out toilet flappers. Customers who require the services of a plumber but cannot afford one will be referred to the BWWB’s Help 2 Others, or H2O Foundation, for assistance.

Local elementary school students will also learn about leak detection and repair. More than 3,000 Birmingham area fifth-graders are a part of the BWWB’s free school science program, “Learning the Wonderful Works of Water.” BWWB representatives will visit select schools that are a part of the program, which features a 10-chapter curriculum guide, to educate students about leaks.

The “Fix a Leak Week” festivities will wrap up with leak inspection and repair education and fun giveaways in the customer payment center located at 110 35th Street North on March 15 and March 16 from 11 to 1. 104.7 FM (WZZK) will be visiting the payment center on March 15 and 98.7 KISS FM (WBHK) will be doing a live remote on March 16. Representatives from BWWB will use the publicity to help educate customers about leaks.

Founded in 1951, the Birmingham Water Works serves 600,000 people in Jefferson, Shelby, Blount, St. Clair and Walker counties. For more information about your Birmingham Water Works Board or about Fix A Leak Week, please call us at (205) 244-4000 or visit our Web site at ww.bwwb.org.

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