Drip. Drip. Drip. You know the sound.
   In fact, nobody knows better than the plumbing industry that American households waste a lot of water because of minor leaks in pipes and fixtures. That's why the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's WaterSense program created "Fix-a-Leak Week." This week-Mar. 15-21, 2010-is a prime time to remind Americans to preserve this precious natural resource by checking their household plumbing and irrigation systems for leaks. It's also the perfect opportunity to remind customers-old and new-about the importance of maintaining their plumbing fixtures and systems. 
   Tapping into Fix-a-Leak Week can be as easy as 1-2-3:

1. Promote Home Checkups
Inevitably, one of the hardest parts about landing a new client is getting your foot in the front door. Why not use Fix-a-Leak Week for a leg up? WaterSense makes the case for detecting and fixing leaks; you provide the professional expertise many homeowners are looking for. Offering free or discounted home inspections to check for leaks could help build a relationship with current and future clients.
   Timing your home checkup promotion with WaterSense's Fix-a-Leak Week has several advantages. First, it creates a clear start and finish for the offer-March 15 to 21, 2010-lending a deadline and sense of urgency for prospective customers to give you a call. Second, it gives you a national platform. EPA and its more than 1,600 partners will be promoting Fix-a-Leak Week across the country from January to March. Third, aligning yourself with the WaterSense message and Fix-a-Leak Week identifies you as an environmental steward. This may give you just the competitive edge you need.
   These home inspections won't be free for you, of course. But as columnist Ruth King pointed out in the December issue of Reeves Journal, it's better to pay your technicians to go to a client's home than to twiddle their thumbs back at the shop.

2. Work With Water Utilities
More often than not, water utilities will be thrilled by your efforts to fix leaks. 
   While it might surprise to you that a company in the business of selling water would applaud your efforts to decrease their sales, often this is exactly the case. For utilities suffering from water shortages, whether due to drought or exploding demand, encouraging their customers to use less water is in their best interest. Improving water efficiency is much more cost effective for them than finding new water supplies. In short, your local water utility could end up being your best public relations agent. One water district in Southern California, for example, currently has a program in place to reduce water use in its coverage area by 20 percent. Perhaps utilities near you have a similar program you could partner with. 
   Call your local utility and share your plans for offering free or discounted home inspections during Fix-a-LeakWeek. Ask if the utility has a water conservation specialist or public outreach coordinator or a leak prevention and correction program. Even better, find out if any utilities near you are WaterSense partners. An easy way to do this is to visit the WaterSense Web site; you can sort by state and select "utilities" in the partner type to narrow your search. 
   Once you've contacted your local utility, find out if it would be willing to promote your company's offer to its customers. Discuss ways to collaborate. Emphasize that you will be offering free or discounted home checkups as a benefit for the community and the environment. Correcting leaks or replacing fixtures may result in an upfront cost to homeowners, but some utilities offer incentive programs to offset those costs.

3. Share Your Story
Local media love a good community campaign. [So do trade magazines--share your success story with RJ, too.--Ed.] In fact, media coverage of the inaugural Fix-a-Leak Week in March 2009 was a huge success, and we anticipate even more publicity this year. 
   You may be able to join forces with your state or local chapter of the Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors Association or another organization to promote Fix-a-Leak Week with a joint press release or media event. To illustrate the water savings that can be achieved through fixing leaks, you can use any of the following facts and figures from EPA in your media outreach:

   --The amount of water leaked annually from U.S. homes could exceed more than 1 trillion gallons, or enough to meet the annual water needs of Los Angeles, Chicago, and Miami combined. 
   --Ten percent of homes have leaks that waste 90 gallons or more per day. 
   --Fixing household water leaks can save homeowners more than 10 percent on their water bills. 
   --In one year, a dripping faucet can waste more than 3,000 gallons, while a leaky showerhead can waste about 500 gallons.
   --As the biggest water user in the house, it's no surprise that toilets can also be a big waster-a running toilet can leak as much as 200 gallons or more each day.

If a customer requires fixtures to be replaced, you can encourage them to look for WaterSense labeled models. The WaterSense label signifies that these products use about 20 percent less water and are independently tested and certified to perform as well as or better than standard plumbing fixtures. The WaterSense label can be found on residential toilets, bathroom faucets, urinals, and WaterSense expects to finalize its showerhead specification by spring, but it may take a few months to get products labeled and on the shelves. 
   WaterSense is a partnership program sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Its mission is to protect the future of our nation's water supply by promoting and enhancing the market for water-efficient products and services. For more information about Fix-a-LeakWeek, please visit the Fix-A-Leak-Week Web Site. Good luck!