Is Your Water Bill Leaking?

Even small leaks and drips add up fast. For an average Austin home using 9,000 gallons a month, a dripping faucet can cost over $10 a month. If that leak worsens to a dribbling, steady stream, the cost rises to between $50 and $100 each month in wasted water. Have a worn out or defective toilet flapper that keeps your toilet constantly running? Expect to shell out another $50 to $100.

Your costs skyrocket when you’re wasting hot water. Water, heating and wastewater costs for a small steady stream of hot water, just a quarter of a gallon per minute, can cost over $200 a month. Keep putting off the repair, and you’ll waste $2,400 in a year.

Leak Detection and Repair

Water Conservation does not offer leak detection services. If you believe you have a serious leak, we recommend you contact a plumber. However, some leaks can be repaired by the do-it-yourselfer. To determine if you have a leak, follow this simple guide:

Find your water meter

The first place to detect a leak is at the water meter outside. It is usually located near the curb with a City of Austin water manhole cover. You can check the meter yourself for any indication of leaks, or call Austin Water at 972-1000 to request your meter be checked. There may be two meters inside your water meter box. Yours is usually the one closest to your house (the other is your neighbor's). Not sure which is which? Turn on a faucet at your house. When you see the numbers on the dial moving, you've found your meter. You can also match the meter number on your bill to the number on top of the cap covering the meter dial.

Examine your dial

Some meters have a leak detector beside the hand of the dial. If there's even a small amount of water going through the meter, the leak detector will turn. If there's no leak detector, you should see a sweep hand that you can watch for movement. Make sure all faucets are turned off inside your home, and no water is being used, then check the leak detector on your water meter for movement.

If it doesn't turn...

There's no leak. But to be certain, watch the dial for several minutes. Sometimes toilets leak slowly, then fill up suddenly. If you have an icemaker, the sweep hand will also turn slowly when it refills.

If it turns...

You've got a leak. In Austin, about 10% of our treated water is lost due to undetected leaks. To find the source of the leak, check your toilet first, and then examine the pipes in and around your hose. Damp spots underneath pipes may help you pinpoint the source of the leak. Outside, look for soggy areas around your foundation and irrigation system. Is it your toilet?

Toilets with leaky flappers can cost you money, and waste a substantial amount of water. To determine if you have a leaky flapper, drop special dye tablets or a little food coloring into the toilet tank. If the color appears in the toilet bowl, you probably have a leaking flapper.