# Our water bill is 6 times higher than it should be **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 30, 2013, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-water-bill-is-6-times-higher-than-it-should-be/648782 "2013-01-30T05:00:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2013, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-water-bill-is-6-times-higher-than-it-should-be/648782/21 "2013-01-30T17:38:35Z")
> [@Indian](#): > > You might want to check what your [cat is doing.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXDD3JN4FGQ) > 😃 I can’t view Youtube from here, but I’m pretty sure I know what that video is, and it’s the very first thing that popped into my mind too. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2013, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-water-bill-is-6-times-higher-than-it-should-be/648782/22 "2013-01-30T17:45:41Z")
> [@Backcountry\_Medic](#): > > Did you shut off the water main to the house to isolate the problem as outside the house? Depending on the soil and terrain you could easily have thousands of gallons pouring out underground without an obvious flood on the surface. Sorry, depending on where you live this is typically a very shitty time of year to have to work on a big muddy plumbing repair. Or they have neighbors in their basement wondering why their sump pump hasn’t turned off for two weeks. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2013, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-water-bill-is-6-times-higher-than-it-should-be/648782/23 "2013-01-30T18:24:12Z")
I don’t see why you are waiting to call the utility. You don’t have to solve the mystery before you call them. They are going to have to dig up your yard. ---
**Author:** ![Kimballkid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5a626/32.png) [@Kimballkid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimballkid)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2013, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-water-bill-is-6-times-higher-than-it-should-be/648782/24 "2013-01-30T21:16:02Z")
I’m kind of confused: What do you mean by ‘between the meter and the house’? My meter is on the main line coming in the basement, therefore my meter is **in** the house. There is a remote meter attached to the side of the house, but it has a line running to the meter in the basement. ---
**Author:** ![saje](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saje/32/3631_2.png) [@saje](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saje)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2013, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-water-bill-is-6-times-higher-than-it-should-be/648782/25 "2013-01-30T21:38:17Z")
My meter is on the road, about 200 Ft from the house. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2013, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-water-bill-is-6-times-higher-than-it-should-be/648782/26 "2013-01-30T21:41:05Z")
I had a problem like this a couple of decades a ago. It turned out there was a leak in the underground pipe between the meter and the house. It wasn’t obvious for a while because most of the water just soaked into the ground. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2013, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-water-bill-is-6-times-higher-than-it-should-be/648782/27 "2013-01-30T21:40:59Z")
You get a water bill only 3 times per year? A water line break could bankrupt someone in that amount of time! ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2013, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-water-bill-is-6-times-higher-than-it-should-be/648782/28 "2013-01-30T21:45:34Z")
Why don’t you just use 6 times less water, so it evens out? ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2013, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-water-bill-is-6-times-higher-than-it-should-be/648782/29 "2013-01-30T21:48:57Z")
Do you have a whole house humidifier attached to your furnace? I have to continually monitor mine since the solenoid valve easily gets corroded and stuck in the ‘open’ position leaving a continuous flow 24/7. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2013, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-water-bill-is-6-times-higher-than-it-should-be/648782/30 "2013-01-30T22:00:46Z")
I work for a city, and 99% of the time, a situation such as yours is because of a faulty meter. They’re easy to replace and the city shouldn’t charge you for it, and they should adjust your bill to a “normal” amount, based on previous usage. The other 1% of the time it’s a leak, and it’s usually on the city’s property, not the resident’s. Other cities may operate differently, but when it happens here, we don’t wait for the resident to hire a plumber. Nobody wants to waste water. ---
**Author:** ![congodwarf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@congodwarf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/congodwarf)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2013, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-water-bill-is-6-times-higher-than-it-should-be/648782/31 "2013-01-30T22:04:08Z")
> [@Doctor\_Jackson](#): > > You get a water bill only 3 times per year? A water line break could bankrupt someone in that amount of time! How often do you get a water bill? I thought 3-4 times a year was normal. ---
**Author:** ![Kimballkid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5a626/32.png) [@Kimballkid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimballkid)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2013, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-water-bill-is-6-times-higher-than-it-should-be/648782/32 "2013-01-30T22:36:00Z")
Mine is monthly and has been everywhere I’ve lived. Even when I was a kid, it was monthly. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2013, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-water-bill-is-6-times-higher-than-it-should-be/648782/33 "2013-01-30T23:10:15Z")
Monthly water bill for me as well. ---
**Author:** ![Backcountry\_Medic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/919ad9/32.png) [@Backcountry\_Medic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Backcountry_Medic)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2013, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-water-bill-is-6-times-higher-than-it-should-be/648782/34 "2013-01-30T23:16:27Z")
Most meters in my experience are out right off the curb, while most main valves are somewhere inside (usually) or right outside of the house. Depending on what type of distance you have from house to road, it can be anywhere from 20-30 feet to something more like hundreds of feet. Where I live the meter reader doesn’t even need to get off her scooter to check. “Water bill is 6x normal” isn’t too descriptive, especially when its on a 3 month cycle, but assuming a normal american house usage of 1-2k gallons/month, you could easily imagine several thousand gallons going somewhere fairly quickly if it’s a water main break. It sounds like the OP is already working on it, but the first step would be to close the main in the house and watch/listen to the meter. If it’s between the street and the house, most likely the city will repair it, but if it only runs when the main is open you need to look for something inside the house, preferably before the dishwasher falls through the kitchen floor. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2013, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-water-bill-is-6-times-higher-than-it-should-be/648782/35 "2013-01-31T00:17:49Z")
> [@Doctor\_Jackson](#): > > You get a water bill only 3 times per year? A water line break could bankrupt someone in that amount of time! I get ours twice a year! Our meter is right on the house. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2013, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-water-bill-is-6-times-higher-than-it-should-be/648782/36 "2013-01-31T00:22:06Z")
> [@Zebra](#): > > I don’t see why you are waiting to call the utility. > > You don’t have to solve the mystery before you call them. They are going to have to dig up your yard. The utility does not do this - they are responsible for getting the water to the property line, which is where the meter is located. I am responsible for anything from then on. If there is any digging to be done, it will be done by a private company, on my dime. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2013, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-water-bill-is-6-times-higher-than-it-should-be/648782/37 "2013-01-31T00:25:09Z")
Update: After much fiddling, testing, turning the main on and off, measuring, etc. It looks like there may not be a leak at all. That’ll teach me for listening to someone who was going on about “there must be a leak somewhere! Keep looking!” So… No leak. The current operating theory is that the meter reader messed up the PREVIOUS reading 4 months ago, so we are only NOW paying for the summer’s lawn and garden watering. Or maybe someone is stealing water from us somehow? This seems unlikely. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2013, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-water-bill-is-6-times-higher-than-it-should-be/648782/38 "2013-01-31T00:30:23Z")
Then your last bill should have been low. If you got a bill that was 6 times higher then it should have been, somewhere along the line, you should have a low bill. Happens sometimes. But it should all get reconciled. Anyways. When you go to bed tonight, mark the number on the meter and shut off the water to the house. Check it in the morning. It should be the same. When you leave for work, do it again. Again, it should be the same when you get home. Or, just call the number on the bill and you don’t have to do any detective work. They’ve seen billing problems, leaks, burst mains, people trying to get discounts, water theft…they’ve seen it all. Let them come and figure it out. They want it straightened out just as much as you do and they’ve got the tools to do it. ---
**Author:** ![lisiate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f05b48/32.png) [@lisiate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lisiate)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2013, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-water-bill-is-6-times-higher-than-it-should-be/648782/39 "2013-01-31T00:30:56Z")
> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > (Back in post #6) > > Not a meter reading error - that’s why I went out to check - and found out that it was even higher, 6 days after it had been read! > … > [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > Update: > > After much fiddling, testing, turning the main on and off, measuring, etc. It looks like there may not be a leak at all. That’ll teach me for listening to someone who was going on about “there must be a leak somewhere! Keep looking!” > > So… No leak. > > The current operating theory is that the meter reader messed up the PREVIOUS reading 4 months ago, so we are only NOW paying for the summer’s lawn and garden watering. > > Or maybe someone is stealing water from us somehow? This seems unlikely. I’m confused - yesterday you ruled out a reading error because the meter was so much higher 6 days after the last read. Now you think a reading error on the penultimate bill is your main cause? When you turned off the water did you leave it for an hour or so to be sure you don’t have a relatively slow leak? ---
**Author:** ![steviep24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5f9b8f/32.png) [@steviep24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steviep24)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2013, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-water-bill-is-6-times-higher-than-it-should-be/648782/40 "2013-01-31T00:46:05Z")
As someone mentioned earlier check your toilets for a slow leak. I had that happen in my house once. Fill valve wasn’t shutting off completely and water was running down the overflow tube. The slow leak wasted over 5000 gallons in a month. Where I live the water meter is in the basement so that would rule out an underground main leak running up the bill. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-water-bill-is-6-times-higher-than-it-should-be/648782.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-water-bill-is-6-times-higher-than-it-should-be/648782.md?page=3)