Holy Water Bill Batman!

General Landlording & Rental Properties
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Holy Water Bill Batman!

Douglas Hardman
Cleveland, OH · Member since 2016 · 10 posts · 7 votes

My fiancé and I moved out of her house in November, and we rented the house out starting the first week of December. Her normal water bill is about $30 a month. (3 bedroom, one bath, no dishwasher, 2.5 people living there.) Usage from the water company shows using 0.2-0.4MCF per month...consistently...for 2 years. The renters move in, and December's bill shows 1.4 MCF...or about $75. Then we get January's bill and it's 2.5MCF...and $115.

So the tenant reaches out to me last week and says "Any idea why our water bill is so high?" to which I respond "I was wondering the same thing!"

They've been model tenants, and I have no reason to suspect they're doing anything nefarious. She says 1-2 people showering a day, and 2-ish loads of laundry a week. Normal usage...about exactly what we were doing when we lived there with the same number of people. Since the sewer bill is based on the water bill, that's sky-high too.

So I call the water company to have them come out and look at the meter, and it was a fight just to get them to come out. They're standing by "the meter is always right" but I can't see how a family of 2 could have possibly used 19,000gal of water in a month. If they were doing laundry 24/7 for the entire month, that'd still only be 12,000gal.

I've been over and checked the pipes and the faucets...no leaks. Nothing seems to be running in the background. Everything in the house is less than 2y old.

Any ideas? Any experience fighting a water company? 

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Account Closed
Investor · Allentown, PA · Member since 2015 · 101 posts · 69 votes
9y

The toilet, it's always the toilet.  I didn't see you mention anywhere that you addressed the toilet.  If the meter is in the house, and water use is constantly increasing, it's going down the toilet.

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  • Dana WhickerPro Member
    Investor · Fernandina Beach, FL · Member since 2014 · 557 posts · 374 votes
    9y

    How does the water run throughout the house? Take us all the way from the street to the meter to the water heater to the fixtures.

    That would help us guess what might be going on.

    I have quite a bit of experience with mystery water usage BTW.

    0Reply
  • Jeremy Pakalka
    Houston, TX · Member since 2016 · 349 posts · 142 votes
    9y

    @Douglas Hardman I would call a plumber and have him check everything from the city connection to the house. It sounds like there is a leak in the pipe running to the house. It could have been caused by an old pipe or a tree root broke the pipe. As far as fighting the water company, good luck. I am not sure there is anything you can do about past months and it probably won't be worth the hassle.

    0Reply
  • Tyler Ansell
    Investor · Tampa, FL · Member since 2015 · 293 posts · 175 votes
    9y

    Any sprinkler systems or other "grass" related things that need water...I'd be sure to poke around and make sure there aren't any extra curricular activities going on that could be using a bunch of water. 

    Could also check for a leak in a main somewhere, could be flowing out of the pipes just into the dirt constantly.

    0Reply
  • Douglas Hardman
    OP
    Cleveland, OH · Member since 2016 · 10 posts · 7 votes
    9y

    I'm going over this weekend to investigate further. I can't imagine it's in the dirt, because the meter is in the house, so that would happen before it got to us. The house is small, and only about 20' from the street, and there aren't any trees out there, so I have no idea hat it could be outside of the house. It'd have to be inside.

    0Reply
  • Colleen F.Pro Member
    Investor · Narragansett, RI · Member since 2013 · 8k+ posts · 4k+ votes
    9y

    Did the water company come out and did they match the meter number to the bill? Have you got a bill since then? Even if they don't find anything wrong (It is never the water companies fault)  sometimes I have seen that "fix" the problem. Given the timing that is the first thing I would check.

    Other then that if you don't have interior  leaks check exterior faucets for breaks, a line to an exterior faucet could be a problem  (and small ones can lead to big bills).

    Also water use is linked to the people, I had a friend tell me their bill was always high because water was expensive, they came and visited me and my bill was high too when they were there. They used a lot of water....

    0Reply
  • Matthew Olszak
    Real Estate Broker · Chicago, IL · Member since 2015 · 1k+ posts · 2k+ votes
    9y

    @Douglas Hardman One other idea - is it possible most of your previous bills were estimated, and this was finally a true reading that caught it all up? On my personal residence for almost the last year and a half I've been getting super-low estimated bills because the meter transmitter wasn't working. Last month I happened to be home when the water dept came by and let him into the crawlspace to fix the transmitter (since I was finally informed of the problem). Real reading: 112 tgal. Estimated total: 18 tgal. Next bill will be a big one.

    1Reply
  • Account Closed
    Investor · Allentown, PA · Member since 2015 · 101 posts · 69 votes
    9y

    The toilet, it's always the toilet.  I didn't see you mention anywhere that you addressed the toilet.  If the meter is in the house, and water use is constantly increasing, it's going down the toilet.

    6Reply
  • Michael Boyer
    Investor · Juneau, AK · Member since 2015 · 980 posts · 741 votes
    9y

    I would check RJ's idea of a running toilet... 

    Running toilet: That is often the case. Listen for awhile after the flush. It could be intermittent. Stay and listen awhile. You may need to replace the flapper or put in a toilet overhaul kit.... Even if 2 year old, a few things could've happen--like wear and tear. Or the tenant may try to "adjust it" and in the process make it run or not seal properly. Or some tenants put in those dreaded bleach/chemical "drop ins" that corrode the rubber components (ruining the seal/flapper and more). Here we see the water use increasing, telling me perhaps that flapper is getting more and more corroded or the seal worse and worse. A running toilet is my most common case for a water use spike--and a pretty easy fix. 

    A leak is also possible: (if you have a crawl space look in there, too). Check as mentioned the path to and through the house and any possible areas for broken pipes (pin hole leaks, etc). It may be underground or under the house or even in a wall. Check for signs of moisture and enlist the tenant, too.

    Abnormal use: My abnormal use examples are not just having friends do laundry or washing cars but more like someone's kid leaving a faucet or hose on--all day, day after day... Fun with water... But 2 adults unlikely.. the .5 maybe--if it is a child there part of the time... Also, any at home businesses on the radar or off are worth looking into....Couple of months may not be enough time to know if they are model tenants yet or may have other things going on. The volume here sounds more like a constantly running toiler or constant leak, though.

    Best of luck

    2Reply
  • Jessie Tetreault
    Investor · Enfield , CT · Member since 2015 · 55 posts · 29 votes
    9y
    I had this problem myself last year. I got a water bill for 18,000 gallons worth of water. It was the toilet. You would be amazed how much water a toilet can use running all month. I replaced the handle and the guts. Problem solved. Water bill was like $350.00. Toilet fix $30.00...
    0Reply
  • Tom R.
    Investor · Ridgecrest, CA · Member since 2017 · 246 posts · 120 votes
    7y

    I realize this is over a year old but there are 2 methods I use to check for leaks and faulty meters.

    First turn off the water to the house just after the meter. Make a note of what the water meter reads and come back after an hour or so. If the meter reading changed when you come back there is something wrong with the meter.

    Second turn the water back on and make sure there is no water running on the property. Turn off all faucets, check toilets, washer, irrigation even turn the water off to the evap cooler. Make a note of what the water meter reads and come back after an hour or so. If it changed then you have a water leak.

    0Reply
  • Dennis M.
    Rental Property Investor · Erie, PA · Member since 2018 · 6k+ posts · 9k+ votes
    7y
    Take a packet of Colored koolaid mix, dump it in the tank above . Wait and see if it leaks into the toilet bowl by watching for the colors to seep in the bowl .
    0Reply
  • Jake K.
    Baltimore, MD · Member since 2017 · 199 posts · 56 votes
    7y
    Originally posted by @Douglas Hardman:

    My fiancé and I moved out of her house in November, and we rented the house out starting the first week of December. Her normal water bill is about $30 a month. (3 bedroom, one bath, no dishwasher, 2.5 people living there.) Usage from the water company shows using 0.2-0.4MCF per month...consistently...for 2 years. The renters move in, and December's bill shows 1.4 MCF...or about $75. Then we get January's bill and it's 2.5MCF...and $115.

    So the tenant reaches out to me last week and says "Any idea why our water bill is so high?" to which I respond "I was wondering the same thing!"

    They've been model tenants, and I have no reason to suspect they're doing anything nefarious. She says 1-2 people showering a day, and 2-ish loads of laundry a week. Normal usage...about exactly what we were doing when we lived there with the same number of people. Since the sewer bill is based on the water bill, that's sky-high too.

    So I call the water company to have them come out and look at the meter, and it was a fight just to get them to come out. They're standing by "the meter is always right" but I can't see how a family of 2 could have possibly used 19,000gal of water in a month. If they were doing laundry 24/7 for the entire month, that'd still only be 12,000gal.

    I've been over and checked the pipes and the faucets...no leaks. Nothing seems to be running in the background. Everything in the house is less than 2y old.

    Any ideas? Any experience fighting a water company? 

    I am in Maryland and I know that water bills went up alot lately in general..But I had a crazy story also. I got a $2700 water bill from the city and it just didnt make sense at all, basically $300 of it made sense bu the other $2400 was seemingly added on, we have been fighting with the city of Baltimore for over a year, even got a city local councilman involved but it was literally like "fighting city hall" they ended up charging a credit card that was on the account for the full $2400..Something is definitely fishy about this but we tried everything. Sometimes you gotta just do your best to fight it but if your not getting anywhere then, what can you do already?

    0Reply
  • Shawn Coverdell
    Investor · Clatskanie, OR · Member since 2014 · 212 posts · 233 votes
    7y

    My money is on toilet is running. Minor adjustment to the toilet valve usually does it, or do what I do. A new tank rebuild kit is 20 bucks or so. I just yank the toilet. New toilet is 100 bucks or so. Here in Hood I put old toilet in alley with free sign. gone by morning. 

    One mans junk is another mans upgraded throne. 

    Homes in the Hood

    0Reply
  • Account Closed
    Real Estate Agent · Arlington · Member since 2016 · 162 posts · 100 votes
    7y

    Here in Northern Virginia, I've had personal experience with our water provider and sewage company making mistakes with billing. Things that triggered my inquiry were 1.) I would be gone extensively (for a month) and still accrue large bills for the time I was away, and 2.) I would occasionally receive bills for the exact amount of the prior month (ie, 44.32 for June and 44.32 for July). There were times where they admitted fault and provided a refund based on their correction. I would ask then for justification for the expense and share your experience. 

    0Reply
  • Christopher Winkler
    Specialist · Dallas, TX · Member since 2014 · 900 posts · 392 votes
    7y

    Could be a leak, though the chance of it happening right after you leave is slim to none. Might be be ganja cultivation! 

    0Reply
  • Douglas Hardman
    OP
    Cleveland, OH · Member since 2016 · 10 posts · 7 votes
    7y

    As it turned out, it was the water meter. I demanded that the city replace it, and they did. Water bill went back down to $24 a month, and I was able to get a refund (credit) from the city for the 3 months it was super-high.

    So...there's always hope that the city will be cool about things and help you out, if you're diligent and stay on them.

    1Reply
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