Checking your home several times a year for a leak and making repairs quickly can save you from an unexpected high water bill. Local hardware stores can offer helpful suggestions for repair methods and replacement options.
To check for a leak in your home, take your first reading from the meter right before you go to sleep at night and then take a second reading first thing in the morning. Compare the results to see if there was any water consumption during the night. If the register has not moved, you have a relatively watertight home. If it has moved, you may have a leak and you should start checking toilets, faucets, hose connections, hot water tanks, and water softeners. Often a new washer is all you need to repair a leaky connection.
Toilets are the most common source of a water leak. A small leak in a toilet can use 30m3 of water per month and add approximately $100 per month to your utility bill. To check your toilet for a leak, place a few drops of a dark food colouring into the toilet tank (do not flush). If any trace of colour appears in the bowl within an hour, you have a leak.
Other causes of a leak in a toilet can occur at the flapper valve where a slight amount of scale or corrosion can build up. The water level in the toilet tank may also cause a leak if it is set too high, causing it to leak into the overflow pipe. Adjust to the float arm to keep the water below the top of the overflow pipe.
You can also check for a leak by checking the low flow indicator on your meter. If you are sure there is no water running in your home and the low flow indicator is spinning, then there may be a leak outside of your home. Turn off your shut-off valve then check around the outside of your home for a possible leak.
Older appliances that are not as efficient as newer models can have an impact on the amount of water you use in your home i.e. water softeners stuck in regeneration mode are a common cause of high water consumption and automatic humidifiers that are connected to furnaces. If your system has a built-in humidifier, check it regularly.
The following chart displays how much water can be lost as a result of a leak and the impact it can have on your utility bill:
| Leak size | 1/16 inch | 1/8 inch | 1/4 inch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cubic Metres Per Day | 3.6m³ | 14.4m³ | 56.7m³ |
| Cubic Metres Per Month | 108m³ | 432m³ | 1729m³ |
| Cost Per Day | $12.53 | $50.11 | $197.32 |
| Cost Per Month | $375.84 | $1,503.36 | $6,016.92 |
Repairing Leaks
A leak in a service line can be difficult to detect and costly to repair. Determining who is responsible for the repair of a leak is determined by the location of the leak in the line. If the water leak is located in-between the curb stop and the main, then it is the responsibility of the municipality to repair the leak. If the water leak is located between the curb stop and the home, then the property owner would be responsible for the repair.
Responsibility of a Municipality |
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The municipality will construct, maintain, and repair the service line from the curb stop to the main.
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Responsibility of a Property Owner |
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The property owner will construct, maintain, and repair of the service line from the curb stop to the house as well as all the pipes and fittings within the home, including the shut-off valve.
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