FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 15, 2013

MEDIA CONTACTS: Eric Symons, (858) 614-5795 ESymons@sandiego.gov Robyn Bullard, (858) 614-5715 BullardR@sandiego.gov

Fix Leaks and Tap into Free Water Surveys During National Fix a Leak Week March 18-24, 2013
SAN DIEGO The City of San Diego is encouraging water customers to sign up for free residential
and commercial water surveys next week during national Fix a Leak Week, because fixing leaks reduces water waste and water bills. The Citys Water Conservation Program offers surveys throughout the year. During a visit, a representative will consult with residential and commercial property owners on water-saving recommendations and provide a water-use budget. As part of the Residential Water Survey Program visit, residents could receive water-saving equipment and information, including low-flow showerheads and faucet aerators. The representative will also check on landscape and irrigation systems. On average, a leak wastes approximately 25 gallons of water per day, said Joey Jacoby, from the Water Conservation Program. Its important for customers to identify leaks and fix them within 72 hours, which is part of our water-use regulations. We want to help customers find ways to conserve water, reduce waste and save money. To encourage water-wise landscaping, the City has several rebate programs for the installation of microirrigation, smart controllers and rain barrels. The San Diego County Water Authority offers turf replacement rebates to customers. The Commercial Landscape Survey Program is free to commercial, industrial and institutional customers in the City. Customers receive an audit of the irrigation system, a review of water-use history, aerial photos of the property, water-saving recommendations, a water-use budget, and an irrigation controller schedule for each month. On average, participants who made changes achieved savings of between 20 and 40 percent. For more information on rebates and to schedule a free Water Survey, call the City Water Conservation Program at (619) 570-1999 or visit www.WasteNoWater.org
The City of San Diegos Water Conservation Program reduces water demand through promoting or providing incentives for the installation of hardware that provides permanent water savings and by providing services and information to help San Diegans make better decisions about water use. For more information about Water Conservation, visit www.wastenowater.org or call (619) 515-3500. ###