High water bill? How to find leaks and pay less

Step 1: Confirm it’s a leak

• Do the two-hour meter test. Read your water meter, use no water for two hours, then read it again. If it changed at all, you probably have a leak (EPA).
• Look at a winter bill. The EPA says if a family of four uses more than 12,000 gallons a month in a cold month like January or February, there could be serious leaks (EPA).
• Rule out a usage change. Outdoor water use is more than 30 percent of household use on average (EPA), so summer watering or a new pool can explain a spike.

Step 2: Check the usual suspects

• Toilets. Put a few drops of food coloring in the tank. If color shows up in the bowl within 10 minutes, it’s leaking. Flush right after so it doesn’t stain (EPA). Most toilet leaks come from a worn flapper, an inexpensive part (EPA). The EPA says to check flappers and replace them at least every five years (EPA).
• Faucets. A faucet dripping once per second can waste more than 3,000 gallons a year. Worn washers and gaskets are the usual cause (EPA).
• Showerheads. A showerhead leaking 10 drips a minute wastes more than 500 gallons a year. Pipe tape on the connection often fixes it (EPA).
• Pipes and fittings. Look for water on the outside of pipes and around faucet gaskets (EPA).
• Sprinklers. Check an in-ground system each spring for frost damage. A leak about the thickness of a dime (1/32 inch) can waste about 6,300 gallons a month (EPA). A poorly maintained system can waste up to 25,000 gallons a year (EPA).

A tip from the EPA: bring the old flapper, or a photo, to the hardware store so you buy one that fits (EPA). Turn off the water line before you work on a faucet.

Step 3: Know when to call a plumber

The EPA suggests a handyperson or licensed plumber for harder jobs, like a shower valve that drips when it’s off (EPA). Call one too if the meter test shows a leak you can’t find. In Illinois, plumbers are licensed by the Illinois Department of Public Health; check with the IDPH plumber license search. Ask for a written estimate before work starts.

Step 4: Cut use for good

• Old toilets can use as much as 6 gallons per flush. WaterSense labeled models use 1.28 gallons or less, and the EPA says replacing old toilets can save a family more than $170 a year in water costs. Many utilities offer rebates (EPA).
• Showerheads: a WaterSense labeled model can save the average family more than 2,700 gallons a year and cut water and electricity costs by $70 (EPA).
• The whole house: the EPA says a family can save more than $380 a year by retrofitting with WaterSense fixtures and ENERGY STAR appliances (EPA).
• Leak detection devices can alert you to leaks or unusual water use, which can also limit damage (EPA).

Help paying a Chicago water bill

Chicago’s Utility Billing Relief Program gives eligible low-income residents a reduced rate on water, sewer and the water-sewer tax, no late penalties or debt collection, and debt forgiveness after one year with no past-due balance. The city runs it with CEDA, which operates LIHEAP in Cook County. Outside Chicago, call your water utility and ask what help it offers.

Leaks often mean a bigger problem? See our guides to plumbing, frozen pipes and water heater repair.