Not only does a small water leak in your home cost you money it is also a waste of a valuable resource. Often when customers call the District to ask about a high water bill they are unconvinced that it is likely due to a small leak. Upon further investigation, a leak is almost always found! Once corrected they are amazed to find that their water flow rate goes back down to where it should be.
Indoor Leaks
- Check every faucet in your home for leaks. Just a slow drip can waste 15 to 20 gallons a day. Fix it and you save almost 6,000 gallons a year.
- Put a bit of food coloring in each toilet tank. Without flushing, watch for a few minutes to see if the color shows up in the bowl. It’s not uncommon to lose up to 100 gallons a day from one of these otherwise invisible toilet leaks, and more than 30,000 gallons a year.
Make sure no water is being used inside or outside your home. Locate your water meter and check to see if the dial is moving. If the dial moves, chances, are, you have a leak. You can also take a meter reading and wait 1 or 2 hours and take another reading (make sure no water is used during this time). if the reading has changed, you have a leak. (scroll down on how to read your meter)
Outdoor Leaks
- Make sure to turn off outdoor spigots and garden hose attachments completely when not in use. Dirt can get into the shutoff valves and prevent a good tight seal. Washers may be worn and not seal.
- Check for soggy ground. Periodically walk the path from the street to your house where the water service runs underground. If it seems to be soggy or soft compared to other areas of your property there may be a leak in your underground water service pipe.
- If you are not sure of the path look in your basement for your water meter and see where the service comes into your home. Go back outside to where the service enters your house. Face the street, and the path is most likely the shortest and straightest line to the street. Remember that your service dates back to when your house was first connected to the system perhaps as far back as 1940. There may now be a driveway, trees, shrubs, walkways, walls, or even an outbuilding over the service pipe which once was a “clear and direct” path when your house was first built.