Foundation Grant Supports Home Plumbing Know-How

The Louisville Water Foundation awarded a $4,200 grant to Habitat for Humanity of Metro Louisville to support its Plumbing Know-How workshop for low-income homeowners.

Maria Price, Habitat for Humanity Community Development Manager, said the workshop enables homeowners “to save money by increasing their knowledge of home maintenance needs, such as fixing a toilet, wrapping plumbing to prevent freezing lines, detecting and repairing leaks, and preventing clogs in drains.”

The workshop is part of Habitat’s Homeowner Education series, which “is a strategic investment in the homeowners who reside in the eight traditional West End neighborhoods of Louisville,” Price said. The series helps “preserve affordable housing and equip homeowners to better protect the asset of their home and be stewards of resources.”

With the Louisville Water Foundation funding, Habitat will purchase supplies to construct multiple demonstration drains, pipes, and toilets as a feature of their new Home Repair Training Center. The 2024 Plumbing Know-How workshop will also add Louisville Water Company education tools to the curriculum.

Louisville Water Education & Outreach team members have already begun working with Habitat to help them reach community members. Barbara Crow, the company’s Community Relations Specialist, recently provided tips to homeowners, including information on identifying leaks in home plumbing and on locating their main water shut-off valve, at Habitat’s Love Your Home event, which drew about 300 attendees in the Portland neighborhood.

“Many of the first-time homeowners we chatted with had never heard of a main water shut-off valve and had no idea where to look for it,” Crow said. “They appreciated the information and left ready to find, test, and tag it!”

The Education & Outreach team will partner with Habitat at two other events this summer.  The first will introduce new homeowners to the benefits of Louisville Water’s Pure Connect online portal. The second will help them determine the type of material used for their water service line.