Hi,
I really need help!! I'm a female and I don't understand plumbing.
I am single and no one lives with me. The square footage of my home is 1,612. I bought my house in September 2004. My lot size is 8,400 square feet (.1928 acres...it's a small lot). My water bills have always been high but I chalked it up to my sprinkler system because I have never owned a home with a sprinkler system before. For some stupid reason, I've never really paid much attention to my water bill until yesterday. I have done some indepth analysis and what I find does not make any sense!!
My first water bill, in September 2004 (15 days worth) showed that I had used approximately 6,733 gallons of water. Take that times 2 (for 30 days) and that would come out to 12,466 gallons for the month.
I'm missing some of my bills but here's a layout of my analysis (the figures are in gallons)...I live in South Central Texas:
9/1/2004 (15 days) 6,733
10/1/04 12,718
11/1/04 14,214
12/1/04 17,206
1/1/05 1,496
2/5/05 1,496
3/1/05 1,496
4/1/05 4,489
5/1/05 8,977
6/1/05 13,466
7/1/05 4,489
8/1/05 11,222
9/1/05 11,222
10/1/05 5,985
11/1/05 5,985
1/1/06 4,489
2/1/06 5,985
3/1/06 3,741
5/1/06 19,451
6/1/06 17,954
7/1/05 13,466
8/1/06 19,451
9/1/06 8,229
10/6/06 14,214
11/1/06 14,962
12/6/06 11,970
5/8/07 10,473
6/7/07 5,237
7/9/07 1,496
8/7/07 2,244
9/6/07 1,496
10/5/07 748
11/5/07 17,954
12/6/07 22,443
1/9/08 23,191
2/8/08 17,954
3/7/08 17,954
4/7/08 11,222
5/6/08 18,703
About my sprinkler system - on this small lot, I have six small zones (it includes flower beds) and I've got it set to water once a week for 15 minutes in each zone.
I am not a water hog. I run my dishwasher about once a month. I wash clothes every 3 weeks. I don't wash my car at home. I take 3-5 minute showers.
I have checked my sprinkler system and there are no broken heads.
I have walked my lot - there are no spongy/wet places in the yard.
I have checked inside and there are no leaks.
I had both toilets replaced in March of this year with the low water toilets.
I have looked at both my water softener and water heater - no leaks.
In June 2005 I asked my water board to come out to check my meter. The only thing they said was that there was "no flow on the meter".
I took several meter readings late yesterday afternoon and then again this afternoon (which confirms that there is "no flow on the meter" for 2.5 hours):
Date Time Reading
12-May 3:47PM 2,298.45
4:17 2,298.45
4:47 2,298.45
5:17 2,298.45
5:47 2,298.45
6:17 2,298.45
13-May 2:15PM 2,303.00
5:30 2,303.00
6:35 2,303.00
8:45 2,303.00
According to these meter readings I used 3,740 gallons overnight when all I did was flush the toilet a few times. If my meter didn't register a "flow on the meter" in 2005 and during my testing yesterday during a 2.5 hour time frame how could it have jumped by 3,740 gallons over night???????????
Will some kind person please evaluate this and give me some direction?
I've contacted my water board and I will be getting a meter test on Friday and then someone is supposed to call me tomorrow to set up a home audit. I don't feel real comfortable with this home audit as I have already checked everything out. Furthermore, I don't feel comfortable dealing with a city organization and what they might tell me.
Maybe it's just me, but you would think that water conservation is important to water boards. If you look at my gallons per month for 10/2007 with gallons used of 748 compared to the next month of 17,954 (24 times the previous month... but I've had similar usage in previous months), I would like to think that they'd be contacting me. Nope...it never triggered a flag for them. I am the worst idiot of all for never thinking about or paying attention to my water bill.
Any help will be greatly appreciated!!
Thank you very much,
Debbie
I really need help!! I'm a female and I don't understand plumbing.
I am single and no one lives with me. The square footage of my home is 1,612. I bought my house in September 2004. My lot size is 8,400 square feet (.1928 acres...it's a small lot). My water bills have always been high but I chalked it up to my sprinkler system because I have never owned a home with a sprinkler system before. For some stupid reason, I've never really paid much attention to my water bill until yesterday. I have done some indepth analysis and what I find does not make any sense!!
My first water bill, in September 2004 (15 days worth) showed that I had used approximately 6,733 gallons of water. Take that times 2 (for 30 days) and that would come out to 12,466 gallons for the month.
I'm missing some of my bills but here's a layout of my analysis (the figures are in gallons)...I live in South Central Texas:
9/1/2004 (15 days) 6,733
10/1/04 12,718
11/1/04 14,214
12/1/04 17,206
1/1/05 1,496
2/5/05 1,496
3/1/05 1,496
4/1/05 4,489
5/1/05 8,977
6/1/05 13,466
7/1/05 4,489
8/1/05 11,222
9/1/05 11,222
10/1/05 5,985
11/1/05 5,985
1/1/06 4,489
2/1/06 5,985
3/1/06 3,741
5/1/06 19,451
6/1/06 17,954
7/1/05 13,466
8/1/06 19,451
9/1/06 8,229
10/6/06 14,214
11/1/06 14,962
12/6/06 11,970
5/8/07 10,473
6/7/07 5,237
7/9/07 1,496
8/7/07 2,244
9/6/07 1,496
10/5/07 748
11/5/07 17,954
12/6/07 22,443
1/9/08 23,191
2/8/08 17,954
3/7/08 17,954
4/7/08 11,222
5/6/08 18,703
About my sprinkler system - on this small lot, I have six small zones (it includes flower beds) and I've got it set to water once a week for 15 minutes in each zone.
I am not a water hog. I run my dishwasher about once a month. I wash clothes every 3 weeks. I don't wash my car at home. I take 3-5 minute showers.
I have checked my sprinkler system and there are no broken heads.
I have walked my lot - there are no spongy/wet places in the yard.
I have checked inside and there are no leaks.
I had both toilets replaced in March of this year with the low water toilets.
I have looked at both my water softener and water heater - no leaks.
In June 2005 I asked my water board to come out to check my meter. The only thing they said was that there was "no flow on the meter".
I took several meter readings late yesterday afternoon and then again this afternoon (which confirms that there is "no flow on the meter" for 2.5 hours):
Date Time Reading
12-May 3:47PM 2,298.45
4:17 2,298.45
4:47 2,298.45
5:17 2,298.45
5:47 2,298.45
6:17 2,298.45
13-May 2:15PM 2,303.00
5:30 2,303.00
6:35 2,303.00
8:45 2,303.00
According to these meter readings I used 3,740 gallons overnight when all I did was flush the toilet a few times. If my meter didn't register a "flow on the meter" in 2005 and during my testing yesterday during a 2.5 hour time frame how could it have jumped by 3,740 gallons over night???????????
Will some kind person please evaluate this and give me some direction?
I've contacted my water board and I will be getting a meter test on Friday and then someone is supposed to call me tomorrow to set up a home audit. I don't feel real comfortable with this home audit as I have already checked everything out. Furthermore, I don't feel comfortable dealing with a city organization and what they might tell me.
Maybe it's just me, but you would think that water conservation is important to water boards. If you look at my gallons per month for 10/2007 with gallons used of 748 compared to the next month of 17,954 (24 times the previous month... but I've had similar usage in previous months), I would like to think that they'd be contacting me. Nope...it never triggered a flag for them. I am the worst idiot of all for never thinking about or paying attention to my water bill.
Any help will be greatly appreciated!!
Thank you very much,
Debbie