Water Leaks-High Water Bills

Are Water Leaks Costing You Money? Periodically You Should:

Check all faucets for drips. Replace worn and leaking washers, gaskets, pipes or defective fixtures.

Check for leaks on outside faucets, and make sure the valve closes properly.

Check toilets for leaks--they are the most common cause of high bills! Check the overflow of the tank to make sure no water is running over ( float level may be set too high ) The flapper valve in the bottom of the tank is also a location of a possible leaking toilet. To check for a flapper valve leak, put a small amount of food coloring in the toilet tank after it has filled. Do not flush the toilet for at least an hour, or overnight if possible. If the food coloring shows up in the bowl without flushing, you probably have a leaking flapper or plunger ball valve. Further information is available from the Billing Office by calling 223-5028.

If you suspect you have a leak please contact our office and we will do a courtesy leak check in your home for you.

How Much Water Do I Use?

How many customers ask the question "how much water does the average person use each day?. The answer to this question. The answer to this question requires a definition of the average person". In general, per capiti water use ranges from about 40 to 80 gallons per day (gpd). The following chart shows estimates of personal water use:

USE	Average / Person (gpd)

Bathing	15 - 25
Sink	3 - 5
Toilet	5 - 15
Washing Clothes	10 - 20
Washing Dishes	5 - 10
Cooking	1- 2
Miscellaneous	1 - 3

Total	40 -80

How to Check for Leaks

Studies show that dripping faucets and leaking toilets account for as much as 14% of all indoor water use, equivalent to 10 gallons per person of water lost per day.

Read Your Water Meter - Use your water meter to check for leaks in your home. Start by turning off all faucets and water-using appliances and make sure no one uses water during the testing period. Check this page on "How to read your water meter".

Take a reading on your water meter, wait for about 30 minutes, and then take a second reading. If the dial has moved, you have a leak.

Check for Leaky Toilets - The most common source of leaks is the toilet. Check toilets for leaks by placing a few drops of food coloring in the tank. If after 15 minutes the dye shows up in the bowl, the toilet has a leak.

Leaky toilets can usually be repaired inexpensively by replacing the flapper.

Toilets can account for almost 30% of all indoor water use, more than any other fixture or appliance.
Older toilets (installed prior to 1994) use 3.5 to 7 gallons of water per flush and as much as 20 gallons per person per day.
Replacing an old toilet with a new model can save the typical household 7,900 to 21,700 gallons of water per year, cutting both your water and wastewater bills.

An average of 20% of all toilets leak!!

Check for Leaky Faucets - The next place to check for leaks is your sink and bathtub faucets. Replacing the rubber O-ring or washer inside the valve can usually repair dripping faucets.

The following table at the bottom of this page shows the amount of water that can be lost ( and billed to your account ) for various size leaks.

How Can I Check My Water Usage?

To determine your average daily use or to check your appliance usage, you can read your meter on an hourly, daily, or weekly basis. Simply record your meter reading at the beginning of a measurement period and again at the end of a period. The difference between these two meter readings will be the water used during that period. Note that your water meter reads in cubic feet and can easily be converted to gallons by multiplying the reading by 7.5 gallons per cubic foot.

If you suspect you have a leak please contact our office at 223-5028 and we will do a courtesy leak check in your home for you.

Leak Size		Gallons Per Day	Gallons Per Month	Cubic Feet per Quarter

	A dripping leak consumes:	15 gallons	450 gallons	180 Cubic Feet
	A 1/32 in. leak consumes:	264 gallons	7,920 gallons	3,168 Cubic feet
	A 1/16 in. leak consumes:	943 gallons	28,300 gallons	11,319 Cubic Feet
	A 1/8 in. leak consumes:	3,806 gallons	114,200 gallons	45,681 Cubic Feet
	A 1/4 in. leak consumes:	15,226 gallons	456,800 gallons	182,721 Cubic feet
	A 1/2 in. leak consumes:	60,900 gallons	1,827,000 gallons	730,800 Cubic Feet