Huge water bill

See if one of your neighbors has a pool that was recently filled.

I dunno about responsibility, but that needs to be fixed. I've BTDT and it sucks. Try finding a leak in 300 ft of water line buried 4' down between the street and the house. Start out turning off the water at the street and calling the landlord. He is going to have to fix that.

dunno....I had a pretty bad water leak a few months ago...luckily our bill only went up about $50 (still 75% increase cycle over cycle). Your rental agreement should clearly state who is responsible for utilities maintenance.

A while ago I discovered the shutoff valve on my toilet was sticking open which meant it was continually "filling", but of course the water went straight down the drain so the level in the bowl never rose. It was a really smooth flow so you couldn't hear it or anything. Just a suggestion.

Side rant: this was the same time that I discovered I didn't have a modern tankless toilet after all, but a normal one that some numpty had built into the wall so that it looked like it was tankless. Ffffffffffuuuuuuuuuu....

You should contact your utility provider ASAP to determine if there is a leak, or if your meter has gone cuckoo. Also, if the usage was real (meaning the water was dispensed on your side of a properly working meter), but you determine the water did not go into the sewer system (if, for example, someone left an outside hose running for a month), you may be able to reduce the bill because most municipalities base your sewer bill on your usage. If the water didn't go into the sewer, you shouldn't have to pay for that; instead, they'll normally ask you to pay your normal sewer bill.

Margie

W/ my utility, once I found the leak and had it fixed they gave cut the amount owed in half. Of course, finding the leak is alot easier if you come home from work and your yard is flooded in one spot only. I was responsible since the leak was between the house and the street.

Happened to me. It was a water main break. After having it fixed they were able to adjust the bill. I was still out the money to fix the main.

One way to check is to pop open the lid on the meter, then shut off your supply right as it comes into the house. If the meter is still moving, it's the main.

Yep, I've been there too, and don't get me started on how I was "hosed" by the plumber who fixed the leak - four figures for a 60 cent PVC fitting.

I just checked our latest bill and my household used 11,200 gallons in a 57 day billing cycle, and we're not stingy with the water. 54,000 + in a month sounds excessive by anyone's standards.

I'd be on the phone to the landlord by now....

If it's a broken main, you'd think some of that 54,000 gallons would show up as a soggy spot on the lawn somewhere.

The meter may be haywire.

Shawn

We water bill had same thing skyrocket , we nailed it down to renter left faucet on when they left . We asked for a forgiveness and received it . We have a lock on water main now and no renter .

BTDT, moved out of a rental house into our first, purchased house. First water bill was for $3000.

Picked myself up off the floor and re-read the bill and saw that they had changed the delivery address for the old water bill (same utility) Apparently the rental house had a pipe break after we moved out.

I called the utility and explained to them that I had ended that service and started a new one and that the landlord was responsible. She had me put this in writing and submit it to them and to the landlord. The landlord contacted the utility and also explained that they were taking care of it.

Problem solved.

Bottom line, you may be paying for the utilities, but I'd say that this is not your problem and that the landlord gets to pay as it was his plumbing that broke causing the excess use of water on your bill. Either way, the utility will want to get paid, make sure the landlord agrees to do this, in writing.

Problem fixed. I left work early and met my dad. Traced it to an old milkhouse close to the house. It had a bad pipe. Found the valve in the basement that closed it all off. Landlord said pay the bill and take it off the rent, she will have it fixed. She's cool. I got a little freaked out. I learned where all the valves are though

Turn off the water as it comes in to the house. Now find the water meter at the street, record the reading. Come back an hour or two later, look at water meter at the street. If it has moved, the leak is on your side of the meter, you get to fix it.

Around here that usually means a new line, it is pretty easy to rent a trencher and put one in. I don't know how you go about finding a leak in a 1/2" piece of copper somewhere between the street/main and your house, and then fixing said leak. If you call the utility first; you get to pull a permit, trench in the new line, call for inspection, wait two days to get an inspector out there, hook up line, backfill trench - an easy four days without water. If you don't call the utility first, well it makes it a bit simpler as you rent trencher, run new line, fill in trench, return trencher, one afternoon total time investment without water - granted it should be your landlord's time spent and not yours. Your municipality may be easier to work with than mine though...

I love well+septic

Call your local TV station or newspaper. They'll LOVE the story, and you'll get far more attention to solving this problem. Responsible? Are you responsible for maintenance on the house? That could determine who's going to pay.

neon4891 wrote: I love well+septic

Me too.

zomby woof wrote:

neon4891 wrote: I love well+septic

Me too.

Same here

The place we're moving into this weekend has well + septic. First time ever for me. Let's see how well that'll work for us.

My only problem with the well+septic is my water pressure is on the low side so I need to fix that here sometime.

rebelgtp wrote:

zomby woof wrote:

neon4891 wrote: I love well+septic

Me too.

Same here

it's great until you loose power... then no water... and when the septic backs up (not enough of the right bacteria ) then it ain't so much fun

In reply to wbjones:

Yes, it's not perfect, but It is all part of the trade off of living in town vs. out in the sticks

Fletch1 wrote: Problem fixed. I left work early and met my dad. Traced it to an old milkhouse close to the house. It had a bad pipe.

Off topic question: what's a milkhouse? Is it just a building where a cow is milked? Googling didn't help.

neon4891 wrote: I love well+septic

Until you lose power, no water, no toilet flushing etc.

neon4891 wrote: I love well+septic

eh...me not so much...theres something about brushing my teeth or washing my ^&%@* with sulfur water from Hades pumped into a well that makes my soul wretch...Im pretty sure that rancid egg smell actually stole some of my will to live.

Came home Friday night to a puddle in the front yard. At least it was easy to find but the line was much deeper than the first time this happened right at the meter. Tree roots do bad things to the plastic pipe. I need to have it all replaced but not right now. My house was built in the early 90s and they used the blue plastic pipe. I have not researched it yet but I'm hoping there is a more durable product on the market now.