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One in every 10 homes has a leak that is wasting at least 90 gallons of water per day. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) WaterSense program encourages Americans to check and replace leaky plumbing fixtures and sprinkler systems, helping households save more than 10,000 gallons of water per year and as much as 10 percent on utility bills.

The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality and the Regional Planning Commission are seeking input from the public on air quality strategies to reduce ozone formation and maintain attainment with the national standards.

Today, DEQ hosted the Environmental Leadership Awards. DEQ Secretary Peggy Hatch was joined by Senator Mike Walsworth, chair, Senate Environmental Quality Committee and Representative Gordon Dove, chair, House Natural Resources and Environmental Committee, to recognize environmental achievements at the 2013 ceremony. New and existing members of ELP were commended for their voluntary pollution prevention efforts and community environmental outreach initiatives. The ceremony highlighted projects that went above and beyond regulatory compliance to substantially improve the quality of the environment. In 2013, the ELP enrolled 26 new members.

Today, the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality presented a loan in the amount of $45 million to the city of Baton Rouge, East Baton Rouge Parish, through funding under the Clean Water State Revolving Fund.

Environmental scientists from the Southeast Regional Office of the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality have commenced a widespread water quality inspection of the impaired watersheds within eastern St. Tammany Parish and Washington Parish.

The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality has partnered with the Information Exchange Workgroup. The Information Exchange Workgroup is a collaboration of Louisiana's petroleum refining and chemical manufacturing industries, which was formed to provide information on environmental protection, identify the most common causes of upsets and malfunctions and provide expertise from industry leaders on efficiency measures. The workgroup also facilitates the identification and sharing of best management practices and other strategies to minimize emissions.

The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality has announced that the general permit for Small Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems is being reissued with an effective date of March 1, 2013. Coverage under this general permit applies to operators (parishes, cities, towns, military bases, etc.) of storm water drainage systems that typically serve populations between 10,000 and 150,000 persons.

The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality and the Baton Rouge Clean Air Coalition are seeking input from the public on air quality strategies to reduce ozone formation and maintain attainment with the national standards. DEQ has created a statewide survey that allows the public to make suggestions on how improve air quality in their own geographic are.