Why is my Water Bill so high?
Why is My Water Bill So High?
Receiving a high water bill can be alarming, and we want to help you determine what might be the cause. There are several culprits that might be guilty of increasing your water usage and bill. Below are some tips and things to consider.
1. Are You Using More
Normally usage is 2,000 to 4,000 gallons per person a month. Irrigation usage should then be added on top of that.
2. Do you Irrigate?
Irrigation can have a significant impact on a bill. When most of us irrigate at night and in the very early morning hours, we don’t really see how its functioning or when.
3. Do you Have a Leak?
A small crack in an irrigation line can cause quite a bit of water to leak and can result in a high bill. Not all leaks are visible on the surface of your lawn. The limestone soil of central Texas can quickly wick away indication of an irrigation leak. Irrigation leaks are the most common and can waste from just a few thousand gallons to 300,000 gallons a month. The next most common culprit would be toilet leaks and water softeners. Silent toilet leaks can waste as much as 30 gallons a day to 6 gallons per minute.
4. Have you Changed the Batteries in your Irrigation Controller?
Many irrigation controllers have backup batteries in case there is an electric outage, retaining the schedule you set. If those batteries are old, that backup may not be working, and you could be irrigating at the wrong times. Also, ensure the schedule you set isn’t inadvertently running more than once.
5. Got a Drippy Faucet?
A dripping faucet can use up anywhere from 10 gallons to 200 gallons per day. A flowing faucet can use anywhere from 720 to 8,000 gallons per day. Check local home centers or the Internet for help with how to repair faucet leaks. A showerhead leaking at 10 drips per minute can waste more than 500 gallons of water per year. A leaky faucet that drips at the rate of one drip per second can waste more than 3,000 gallons per year.
6. Was a Hose Left On?
Perhaps you hand water and laid the hose done for a minute. Maybe you have kids who have played in the backyard with the hose. These are easy things to forget about but in a few hours can add thousands of gallons to your bill.
7. Will I Be Charged for a Water Main Leak in my Neighborhood?
No, customers are not billed the amount of water lost on a leak from a system water main in your neighborhood. When there is a water main leak, that water is lost from the system. The amount of water that you are billed each month is determined by your water meter, which measures the water flowing into the pipes in your house.
8. Do you Water Animals or Livestock?
Livestock tanks can leak and/or pumps can overwork and flood the tank.
9. Read Your Meter
Take a reading on your meter and compare it to the read on your bill. The read you take should be more than what is on your bill. This will show that the water went through the meter. The register on your water meter is much like the odometer of your car. As water gets pulled through it, the dials turn. It never resets or runs backwards.
10. Check your Controller Settings
Check your controller settings or have a maintenance check performed. The City of Georgetown also offers a variety of rebates for irrigations systems. Learn more about our water conservation rebates. Remember, no watering on Mondays.
11. Check for a Running Toilet
Fortunately, most toilet leaks are relatively easy to fix. In a properly functioning toilet, no water should move from the tank to the bowl unless the toilet is being flushed.
A leaking toilet loses water from the tank to the bowl without being flushed. Most toilet leaks are caused by a faulty valve (also known as “flush valve ball” or “tank stopper”). A flapper valve should be replaced every three to five years. Most hardware, plumbing and home improvement stores supply flappers.
The second most common type of toilet leak is caused by an improperly adjusted or broken fill (ball cock) valve. If the float is set too high or if the shut-off valve fails to close completely, water will continue to enter the tank and flow into the overflow tube. This type of leak can be seen simply by taking the tank top off and observing if water is flowing into the overflow tube once the tank is full.
Please contact the Utility Call Center at 512-930-3640 or customercare@georgetowntexas.gov for more help understanding your bill.