News Flash

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 6th, 2023

Celebrate finding and fixing water leaks this March with Fix a Leak Events!

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - The City of Charlottesville, Albemarle County Service Authority (ACSA), and Rivanna Water & Sewer Authority (RWSA) are celebrating finding and fixing leaks for the month of March by hosting several events to help encourage our community to save water and FIX A LEAK!

Fix a Leak Week, (March 20^th – 26^th) is a national campaign sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) WaterSense program, which seeks to inform the public on how to identify and fix leaks. By making fixes, Americans put a stop to the more than 1 trillion gallons of water being wasted from household leaks each year.

Fix a Leak Week officially occurs in March each year. This year, we are extending the focus on fixing leaks for the entire month of March with two main events: Fix a Leak Home Scavenger Hunt and the Virtual Fix a Leak Family 5K. All events are FREE and open for anyone in the City of Charlottesville and Albemarle County to participate.

• The Fix a Leak Home Scavenger Hunt helps you get to know your water fixtures and make sure that none are leaking in the place you live. Complete the Home Scavenger Hunt Worksheet (PDF) and submit (electronically, drop off, or by mail) by March 31^st to be entered to win a special prize!
• You can't celebrate finding and fixing leaks without a race to catch the running toilet, so we are holding a Virtual Fix a Leak Family 5K! This 5K is FREE and you will get all materials digitally about the race, how to save water, and how to stop that running toilet! You have until March 31^st to run your 5K and submit your results, and you will be entered to win a special prize! Registration for the 5K is open now.

For Fix a Leak Month, we want to remind the community to help save water and keep our water supply sustainable. Three steps you can do this spring to save water are to check, twist, and replace:

• CHECK for leaks. Look and listen for running toilets and dripping faucets, showerheads, sprinklers, spigots, and other fixtures.  
• TWIST and tighten hose and pipe connections. To save water in your bathroom without a noticeable difference in flow, twist on a WaterSense labeled faucet aerator. 
• REPLACE the fixture if necessary. Look for WaterSense labeled models. These models are independently certified to use 20 percent less water and perform as well as or better than standard models. 

“Finding and fixing leaks is so important and can help save homes thousands of gallons of water each year,” said Jill Greiner, City of Charlottesville’s Water Efficiency Program Coordinator. “We hope these events bring awareness to this important topic and encourage the community to nip that drip in the bud!”

More information about the Fix a Leak Events and the Home Scavenger Hunt Worksheet: www.charlottesville.gov/FixALeak

To Register for the Virtual Fix a Leak Family 5K: https://runsignup.com/Race/VA/Charlottesville/VirtualFixaLeak5K

Media Contact
Jill Greiner
Water Efficiency Program Coordinator
City of Charlottesville
434-970-3877
greinerj@charlottesville.gov