Why was my water bill high?

On average, a person uses about 40 to 80 gallons of water per day.

Small household leaks, left unrepaired, can lead to big trouble over time. 

Water is billed in units. One unit equals 748 gallons of water.

Slow drips of water can add up quickly. A toilet that keeps running after you flush or a sink that drips after it is turned off can waste thousands of gallons of water a year. A small leak in your automatic irrigation system can waste about 6,300 gallons of water per month! If the drip is hot water you are paying for wasted energy too. Fix leaks as soon as you find them. They won’t go away on their own.

One of the most costly household wastes of water is a leaky toilet. According to the American Water Works Association, toilets account for 45 percent of all indoor water use in a typical home. It is estimated that 20 percent of all toilets leak.

Toilet leaks can range from small to large, constant to random, or from loud or silent. They all cause wasted water. Depending on the water pressure to your house, a running toilet can leak over one gallon of water per hour. This is almost one unit of water a month. If left undiscovered, a running toilet can waste almost 13 units of water a year.

Fortunately, most toilet leaks are relatively easy to fix.

In a properly functioning toilet, no water should move from the tank to the bowl unless the toilet is being flushed. A leaking toilet loses water from the tank to the bowl without being flushed.

• Most toilet leaks are caused by a faulty valve (also known as “flush valve ball” or “tank stopper”). A flapper valve should be replaced every three to five years. Most hardware, plumbing and home improvement stores supply flappers. How to check for a leaky toilet flush valve (flapper):
  • Carefully remove and set aside the tank lid (this water is clean until it enters the bowl)
  • Add some food coloring or a dye tablet to turn the water a different color
  • Put the tank lid back on
  • Wait 15 minutes and do not flush
  • If dye appears in the toilet bowl, the flapper valve in your toilet is leaking and should be replaced
• The second most common type of toilet leak is caused by an improperly adjusted or broken fill (ball cock) valve. If the float is set too high or if the shut-off valve fails to close completely, water will continue to enter the tank and flow into the overflow tube. This type of leak can be seen simply by taking the tank top off and observing if water is flowing into the overflow tube once the tank is full.

If you do need to replace the entire toilet, look for a WaterSense labeled model.

A leaking faucet is frequently the result of a bad rubber washer. The washer on a sink is typically located under the handle. A washer is relatively easy to replace with the right tools. It does require shutting off the water under the sink and removing the handle. Check local home centers or the Internet for help with how to repair faucet leaks.

• A showerhead leaking at 10 drips per minute can waste more than 500 gallons of water per year

• A leaky faucet that drips at the rate of one drip per second can waste more than 3,000 gallons per year

An irrigation system should be checked each spring before use to make sure it was not damaged by frost or freezing. An irrigation system with pressure set at 60 pounds per square inch that has a leak 1/32nd of an inch in diameter (about the thickness of a dime) can waste about 6,300 gallons of water per month.

To ensure that your in-ground irrigation system is not leaking water, consult with a WaterSense irrigation partner who has passed a certification program focused on water efficiency.

Check your garden hose for leaks at its connection to the spigot. If it leaks while you run your hose, replace the nylon or rubber hose washer and ensure a tight connection to the spigot using pipe tape and a wrench.

Washington State Law requires that underground utilities be marked before you dig. The City of Kirkland marks city utilities in the public right-of-way only. Puget Sound Energy, Comcast, Ziply, Northshore Utility District, Woodinville Water, and others have underground assets in Kirkland as well. 

Some underground utilities belong to you, such as your side sewer, water service line, and private storm water system. The city does not mark underground utilities on private property. You will need to hire a private company to mark your personal property. 

The paint used for locate markings is designed to wear away in time. The city does not remove it. The color of the paint indicates what type of asset has been marked. 

The Washington Utility Notification Center and Washington811.com have more information about marking underground utilities.