With Owasso, Oklahoma, facing a 3% increase in utility rates, local plumbers warn residents that water bills can climb from leaks homeowners may barely notice.
Here's what to know
In reporting from KJRH 2 News Oklahoma, Cassie Pound, vice president and owner of Quality Heating, Cooling, Plumbing and Electric, described the hidden household leaks she encounters most often.
The two most frequent problems are a toilet that keeps refilling because the flapper is not sealing, and a faucet that starts dripping when excess pressure builds inside it.
Pound said, "If there's some high pressure, something that's building up and causing the water to go ahead and come out, even if you're not asking for it, that can be a sign that we have something going on."
Another component she flagged was the toilet flapper — the rubber piece involved in each flush.
"So this little flapper here, this is what we're gonna use to flush the toilet," Pound said. "So sometimes this can have a gap, right, and it's gonna cause this to constantly run or continually flush. So when the water is trying to fill back up, but if there's never a stop to allow it to fill, then it's just going to continue to run."
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More background
Part of the challenge is that these issues are not always obvious. A faucet may drip only when pressure builds, while a toilet with a worn flapper may simply sound as though it is occasionally refilling rather than steadily wasting water.
The timing of that advice comes as Owasso faces a 3% utility rate increase. In effect, households can end up being charged for treated water that serves no purpose before going down the drain.
What can be done?
According to Pound, some leaks can be handled without a full service call, but residents should bring in a professional if they are unsure what is causing the problem.
Curtis, a plumbing service technician, offered a specific step for a water heater leak. "So if your water heater is running constantly, it's got a leak, you don't have to shut water off to the whole house," Curtis said, per KJRH 2 News Oklahoma. "You can just shut the water off at your emergency shut off to the hot water heater right there."
He said that shutoff can be found in the closet where the hot water tank is located in most homes. Curtis added that the water meter is usually in the front yard and that a water meter key from a local hardware store can be used to open it.
Where can I learn more?
Hidden leaks have been known to quietly push water bills higher.
• Homeowners can use a simple leak check to catch hidden plumbing problems early.
• A still-spinning water meter has signaled leaks behind unusually high monthly bills.
• Home inspectors used a Kool-Aid dye test to expose silent toilet leaks.
• A few drops of food coloring in the tank can reveal a leaking toilet flapper.
• When bills jump unexpectedly, a blue dye test can uncover a hidden toilet leak.
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