Do You Have a Water Leak?
Should this ever happen, there are a series of places one should initially inspect for leaks. First, begin with the faucets for sinks and tubs. Determine if any of the faucets are dripping; they may be in need of a new washer or more serious maintenance. Next, check beneath each sink for any puddles of water or signs that water has been dripping from the pipes. Also, check the main water valves inside the home to determine if there is a leak from any of them or from the pipes to which they are connected. If signs are located, unless you are a do-it-yourself homeowner, contact a professional.
The next place to search for a leak is the toilets. Check behind the toilets to see if water is dripping from the tank onto the floor. Also, flush the toilet and listen carefully to determine if it is flushing properly or if it is running water longer than necessary when refilling the tank.
Is your refrigerator hooked up to a waterspout along the wall? If it is, check the spout and the floor beneath it for a possible leak. What about the water heater? If the floor around the water heater is wet or if nearby carpeting feels damp, this may be the source of a possible leak. Finally, check the outdoor spigots and water hoses, making certain that they are completely turned off and are not dripping continuously.
Finally, if water usage suddenly increases sharply, consider the usage during the billing period. For instance, did the family begin watering the lawn, was the family vehicle washed more often, were more loads of laundry washed, or did company visit for a few days? Any of these reasons could be the cause of an increase in water usage.
After checking all the obvious locations for possible leaks and finding none, there was only one more possibility I could think of: Underground leaks. Directly, I went to the water company, but they did not seem to think that an additional nine hundred gallons of water usage was significant; they explained that the meter has a leak detector that should be turned on and should have alerted the meter reader. However, they did advise that the water meter be read before going to bed and again upon awaking to determine if the meter had moved during a phase when no water had been used in the home. This, they explained, would be a definite sign of a leak. It sounded like a reasonable place to begin.
When the day had quieted down, I slipped outside with a flashlight to read the tiny numbers, writing them down on a small tablet with certainty that this would reveal the problem. A few short hours later, I repeated the process and found the exact same numbers on the meter. Perplexed, I repeated the process with the same results.
So, if you happen to see that your water usage increases suddenly or if your water bill costs more than usual, check for possible leaks and read the meter before and after a phase of no water use. But, keep in mind, that there is also the possibility that the home simply used more water than normal. I guess sometimes we have to admit that, as conservative as we would like to be, we were wasteful with a resource.
