Many water consumption factors are accounted for on your bill including the number of days in the current billing cycle, the assumed number of residents in your home, and the square footage of your outdoor landscape that uses water. If your bill has increased drastically since last month, there are several questions we can look at to start troubleshooting!
Did you know that most water use occurs outdoors? Use the following checklist to reduce outdoor watering:
- Check your sprinkler timer – the District offers a suite of tools and services to help you set your timer and irrigate efficiently
- Check your timer’s back-up battery – this prevents your system from returning to factory settings if there is a power interruption
- Check for leaking irrigation valves and fittings – walk your yard, station by station, looking for possible irrigation leaks
- Check for wet spots in your yard – consistently moist or wet patches could indicate an underground leak
Did you have a new baby, or have another family member move in?
Your budget is based on a default number of people for your home type. If your number of permanent residents is not correct on your bill, you can request a variance to your budget by filling out the form here: www.mnwd.com/variances.
Have you noticed any toilet issues? Do you have to jiggle the flush or do you hear it flush on its own sometimes?
Toilets are the #1 reason for high bills inside your house! If the flapper in your tank isn’t sitting properly, it can silently swallow hundreds of gallons per day without you even realizing it. At our office we have free dye tests that you can use to check your toilets for this type of problem. You can also test it yourself using some blue food coloring (not red!). Check out the simple instructions here: www.mnwd.com/fix-a-leak
Do you have an auto-fill on your pool?
Auto-fill valves are useful for maintaining good operating conditions for your pool. However, we often have seen that these valves can also get stuck open so that they keep filling the pool, with the excess water draining quietly away. Be sure to include the valves in your regular checks and maintenance. When the weather is warmer and evaporation increases, a pool cover can save you money as well. Nearly 15,000 gallons are lost to evaporation from a standard size pool.
Do you have a water softener or other treatment device?
Some customers elect to use a water softener or other whole-house treatment device at their residence. Be aware that treatment devices that backwash need careful attention. If the device is backwashing multiple times per day, it will increase your water usage significantly.
Still having trouble determining the cause of high water use?
We’re here to help! We offer one complimentary Home Savings Survey for every customer in the district. If you need some help troubleshooting a leak, want to review your outdoor watering practices, or just need some help becoming more water efficient, please fill out this form to request a Home Savings Survey and a member of the Water Efficiency Team will schedule a time to meet with you.