Experiencing Extraordinary Usage?
Occasionally you receive your water bill and see that the amount due is considerably higher than normal. What should you do?
First, check for leaks in your water system. Leaks can happen any time and it’s important to find them and get them fixed quickly.
How to confirm that you have a leak:
- Call our office at 970-867-3054 and we can send a technician out to inspect your meter. It is very helpful if you can make sure that you are not using any water while we are there. If you are not using water but the meter is still turning, there is a leak somewhere in your water system.
- Now you will need to determine where the leak is coming from.
- Check all of your faucets and be sure to check under the sink also. Any drips?
- Test toilets for leaks. You can stop by our office for leak detector tablets, purchase them at a local hardware store, or simply place a few drops of food coloring in the holding tank. Wait 10 minutes (don’t flush the toilet) and see if any coloring appears in the toilet bowl. If it does, you have a leak. Be sure to flush the toilet immediately after the experiment to avoid staining your tank.
- If the leak is not from your faucets or toilets, check your irrigation system and outside hydrants.
I found a tiny leak, how bad can it really be?
Even small leaks and drips add up. According to the American Water Works Association’s drip calculator:
| Drips per Minute | Water Wasted per Month | Water Wasted per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | 43 gallons | 536 gallons |
| 30 | 130 gallons | 1,577 gallons |
| 60 | 259 gallons | 3,153 gallons |
| 120 | 518 gallons | 6,307 gallons |
| 300 | 1,296 gallons | 15,768 gallons |
Toilet leaks can really add up!
- Toilets are often the cause of high water usage. If the flapper sticks, the chain gets caught, or the parts simply wear out, large amounts of water can go straight through to the sewer or your septic system. You may not know you have a problem until you see your water bill.
- A small leak can waste 288 gallons per day or .2 gallons per minute
- A medium leak can waste 1,440 gallons per day or 1 gallon per minute
- A large leak can waste 2,880 gallons per day or 2 gallons per minute
That’s 8,000 gallons or more in a month from just a small leak!
If you find a leak, please have it repaired as soon as possible. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO SHUT OFF YOUR METER YOURSELF, YOU WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY DAMAGE!! If you need to have the water turned off at the meter in order to have the repairs done, please call our office at (970) 867-3054 and we will have a technician turn it off and back on when you are ready.