Higher Than Normal Bill

Attention Customers

Delays in our meter reading schedule have resulted in bills that include more days of service than usual. Fixed daily charges, not including water usage, are $2.74 per day for four services: water service availability, sanitary sewer, stormwater, and solid waste collection. Water usage is the only charge that fluctuates based on usage and will likely also be higher due to more days of service. The days of service (billing period) are listed at the top of every bill.

Customers will never be charged for more days of service than they have been provided.

Customers are able to make a payment in advance of receiving their bill or make multiple smaller payments to cut down on the impacts of the additional days of service on their bill.

Customers still have 21 days past the bill date to pay their bill before it is considered overdue. A late fee will not be added until 75 days past the bill date. Customers have 90 days past the bill date before they face water service disconnection.We are working to return to our goal of billing every 28 to 32 days. Our meter reading contractor is working on Saturdays and bringing staff in from other cities to assist in addressing the delayed readings. Some bills may also contain estimated meter readings to help reduce the days of service.

To confirm that their higher-than-normal water usage charge is due to additional days of service and not a leak, customers can compare their current water usage to their water usage on a prior bill. Customers should divide the consumption by the days of service for both bills to obtain an average daily usage for each bill period and compare the daily averages.

If customers believe the water usage portion of their bill is still abnormally high after figuring in additional days of service and known increases (such as filling a pool), a leak may be present.

To check for a leak, the Department of Public Utilities recommends the following steps:

Investigate your faucets and toilets, as they are the most common culprits when you have a leak. Fortunately, they can also be the easiest leaks to find and repair. Most replacement parts are inexpensive, easy to install, and available at any hardware store.

Faucets

Inspect each faucet for visible leaks. If your faucet is dripping or leaking, the solution is often a simple do-it-yourself project. A common cause of a leaking faucet is a broken or worn washer. The leak could also be caused by a worn or loose O-ring, particularly if water is leaking near the handle of the faucet.

Toilets

If your toilet flushes or fills itself, you have a toilet leak. Most likely, the flapper valve is worn or not sealing properly. Simply replacing the flapper valve should stop the leak.
Listen for hissing or dripping sounds coming from the back of the tank. Try lifting the float. If the sound stops, the fill valve is likely worn and should be replaced. If lifting the float does not stop the sound, you may need to adjust or replace the flapper valve.
Check for leaks using food coloring or dye tabs. Place the dye tabs or food coloring in the tank on the back of the toilet. Wait ten minutes without flushing. If color appears in the toilet bowl, you have a leak. These leaks are often caused by a worn flapper valve.
Finally, make sure the water level in the tank is at least one inch below the top of the overflow pipe. If the water level is too high, water will leak out of the overflow pipe. A simple adjustment to the float assembly will usually fix this problem.

Flapper Valve Information

A worn flapper valve is often the cause of intermittent leaks. Flapper valves should be replaced every three to five years to help avoid the potential for leaks.

When it is time for replacement, bring your old flapper valve (or a picture of it) to the hardware store to make sure you buy a new flapper valve that fits your toilet model. It is helpful to know the name of the toilet manufacturer. Pay attention to the width of the flapper valve and whether it has a foam float on it that may also need to be replaced.

You can also check the owner’s manual, if you have it, or the toilet manufacturer’s website for information on replacement parts.

Find Your Private Shut-Off Valve

In the event of a significant leak in your home, you can stop the flow of water using your private shut-off valve. Likely locations of the private shut-off valve include:

On the wall in your garage.
Near your water heater, in a bathroom vanity cabinet, in a closet, or under the kitchen sink.
Near an outside hose bib, where the water supply pipe enters your home. The valve will be located inside a box or pipe in the ground, several feet away from your home.

If you are unable to find your private shut-off valve, please call Public Utilities at (757) 385-4171 for an emergency turn-off or to schedule a turn-off for a repair.