How to Read Your Meter (City Treasurer)

Leaky toilets are the biggest culprit for high water use bills!

Leaks in toilets have been found to be the biggest culprits in causing high water bills.   Often these leaks cannot be seen or heard.  What should you do? The best way to test for a leaking toilet is relatively easy. Place some food coloring in the back of the tank. DO NOT FLUSH THE TOILET. Wait several minutes and see if any of the food coloring shows in the toilet bowl, indicating a leak. If you have more than one toilet, dye test them all.

To check for leaks:

- Turn off valve, and if meter continues to move, there may be a valve or meter problem. 
- Turn off valve and if noise stops, you have a leak.
- If you notice a wet spot in your yard, there may be an outside leak.
- To determine whether water is leaking, be sure to turn off all water consumption devices, including humidifiers and other automatic water users.  Then, go down and look at your water meter.   On newer meter registers, there is a small red dial or triangle called a "leak detector" which spins when small amounts of water pass through the meter.   Is the little red dial spinning on your meter?   If so, you have a leak and that water is going somewhere.