WASHINGTON — The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), in a groundbreaking partnership with utilities from across the nation including: Austin Water Utility and San Antonio Water System of Texas and American Water, with the support of East Bay Municipal Utility District of California and the New York City Department of Environmental Protection, submitted a proposal to the American Water Works Association (AWWA) to revise national accuracy standards for new water meters to tackle the unnecessary waste of water from low-level leaks, according to a press release.
The AWWA is the national non-profit organization that publishes standards for mechanical water meters used to measure customer water usage.
“Water leaks are incredibly common, often lurking unseen in our homes and businesses and wasting an enormous amount of water,” said Tracy Quinn, NRDC water policy analyst. “The costs for leaks not captured by meters are passed on to all customers and result in higher rates and more frequent rate increases. We can fix this by ensuring that utilities are supplied with more accurate water meters that can better detect hidden leaks. Stronger accuracy standards will lead to the widespread installation of more accurate meters, and major water savings will follow when homeowners fix leaks identified. At a time when we cannot afford to let a drop go to waste, these water saving measures matter more than ever.”
More than one trillion gallons of water leak from U.S. homes each year and 10 percent of homes have leaks that waste 90 gallons or more per day, often unbeknownst to homeowners, according to the US EPA’s WaterSense Program.
Read the entire press release here.
