Water Bills

Why is my water bill high so high?

A high water bill may indicate you have a leak. Even a small leak can waste enough water for you to notice an increase on your bill. If there is a leak anywhere within your plumbing system, the person named on the utility bill must pay for the water used. Fix your leaks promptly to avoid paying for them each month.

Each person living in Berthoud uses an average of 117 gallons of water each day or about 3,500 gallons a month. Outdoor watering can double or triple your water bill.

If you do not have a water leak and your bill seems high, consider these questions:

• Did you use more water keeping the grass green?
• Did you go on vacation and leave someone else in charge of your lawn watering?
• Do you have an automatic sprinkler system with a broken head?
• Have you put in a new lawn, sprinkler system or pool recently?
• Were your children playing with the water?
• Did you do extra loads of laundry before or after a vacation?
• Did you have friends or relatives staying with you?

Ideas to help you find water leaks

Most leaks are easy to find, but some can go undetected. Here are some ideas to help find a water leak in your home.

Toilets

• Listen and look for running water.
• Put a few drops of food coloring into the tank. Or pick up free dye tablets at Town Hall located at 328 Massachusetts. If color shows up in the bowl within ten minutes, the valve or support assembly may need to be replaced.
• See if the ball valve drops squarely into the drain opening. If not, clean it out or replace the ball valve if it is worn.
• Check the flush handle to see if it is stuck in the flush position.
• Bend the float arm to lower the water level to at least one-half inch below the top of the overflow tube.
• Replace the overflow tube if it has holes below the water level.

Faucets, Bathtubs and Showers

• Replace worn gaskets and washers.
• Replace washerless faucets.
• Tighten waterline connections and valves.

Air Conditioner/Humidifier

• Check for water leaks.

Water Heater

• Replace the pressure and temperature valve, if leaking.
• Tighten the drain valve.

Dishwasher/Clothes Washer

• Look for water drips or stains underneath or in back of the machine.

Water Service Connection

• Look for drips or wet areas in the crawl space.
• Place a screwdriver on the service line and listen. No noise means water is not running.

Outside Faucets

• Replace worn gaskets and washers.

Sprinkler System

• Disconnect hoses from outside faucets to protect against freeze damage.
• Winterize your sprinkler system according to the system's instructions.
• Check for any damage to sprinkler heads.
• Make sure that all drain plugs are closed.