Why is My Water Bill so High?

$12,000 Water Bill Shocks Atlanta Homeowner... Do I need a leak detection service?

With no signs of a leaking pipe, the water bill comes in the mail from Fulton County. Upon opening the bill, a huge water bill indicting thousands of gallons of water usage a day. For a family of three, usage at most is usually only 200 or 300 hundred gallons a day. The rain has not stopped since the beginning of the year and the irrigation system has not been in use.

Where has the water gone? A call to the water department eventually leads to a technician arriving to say that the meter is working, and with some persistence offer to install the new digital water meter. A week later, a new digital meter is reading excessive usage. The water department urges us to call a leak detection service in Atlanta.

The above story is a constant situation experienced by thousand of homeowners every month when they get there water bill in the mail. Rarely the meter reader took an improper reading or even more rarely the water meter registered over usage (most water meters read less water consumption when they malfunction). LeakDetection.com recommends doing some quick checks to see if you have a leak:

  • Do you have any fixtures obviously leaking, toilets running, faucets dripping, outdoor faucets dripping, wet spots in the yard?
  • Is your water meter moving with no fixtures leaking or running in the house?
  • Is it possible someone used your water or left a garden hose running?

What to do next if you cannot identify your leak? LeakDetection.com uses a combination of ultrasonic leak detection, hydrogen leak detection, helium leak detection, thermal imaging cameras, moisture meters and static pressure testing to determine the source of your leak. The most common leaks found are running toilets, underground water leaks under concrete slabs, outdoor water service line leaks, and broken irrigation control valves.

Huge water bills are common place. Stories of families on fixed income receiving water bills in the thousands has made the attention of the AJC, CNN and SBTV. Some reports from the City of Atlanta water department have indicated that over 6% of the water meters are malfunctioning (mostly in the customers benefit) and that almost 30% of the water used by the city of Atlanta is lost in the outdated supply piping before even reaching the consumers water meters. In the event you receive a excessive water bill contact water department and if they cannot help contact www.LeakDetection.com

LeakDetection.com recommends starting with the basics and systematically eliminating the sources of leaks. The benefits of using a leak detection services is that you find what your problem is, know what it costs to fix and you get an invoice to turn into the water department which will usually get some credit on your bill. In some cases a few hundred dollar repair can lead to a thousands of dollars of refund on your water bill.