High Water Use#
Have you been surprised by a high water bill? It may be due to unusually high consumption or a leak.
Check Your Usage#
Fort Collins Utilities customers have a free, online tool, My Water, to track hourly and daily water use (formerly known as WaterSmart). Create an online account if you don't already have one.
Look to see if there are:
- Specific days or hours with high spikes – it's high consumption.
- Continuous water use throughout the day – probably a leak.
High Consumption#
Examine the bill for dates of service. Guests, holidays, extra laundry, landscape work and hot weather can all lead to unusually high water use. During the watering season, sprinkler systems are the most common cause of high consumption.
Leaks#
If you check your water use and find that water is being consumed all day long with no readings of zero within an hour, it's typically a leak. Leaks can be found inside the home or in the sprinkler system.
Learn to identify and fix leaks in:
If you would like to learn more about how to fix common household leaks, there are several excellent resources available on the Environmental Protection Agency's website.
If you replace a toilet or other water-using appliance, look for WaterSense labeled models and take advantage of the rebates Utilities offers.
Find programs that can help fix leaks.
Read a Coloradoan article about being water wise in your home and fixing leaks.
Fix a Leak Kits#
Check toilets, showerheads and faucets for leaks. Free leaks kits are available at 222 Laporte Ave., 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Wednesday. Kits include a drip calculator, leak ruler, faucet washers, pipe tape and toilet dye tablets to help identify leaks, learn how much water is being wasted and get started on repairs.
Tips to Prevent Freezing Pipes #
During the winter months, sustained temperatures below 20 degrees Fahrenheit could risk pipes freezing. Freezing pipes could cause leaks and expensive damage to your home. To prevent freezing pipes during extreme cold follow these three steps – warm, weatherize, and for those pipes that are still susceptible to freeze, let drip.
Is my water meter working?#
Customers often call Utilities concerned their water meter is not working properly. Meters are rigorously tested and maintained to ensure they read within 99% accuracy. As meters get older they tend to register less, not more, water.
Click here to view examples and learn how to read Fort Collins Utilities meters.
Did You Know?
Sink strainers can catch food waste to prevent expensive clogs and pipe backups.
In warm seasons at night (when temperatures are cooler), open windows when you feel comfortable doing so (i.e. in calm weather condition, with a window stopper in place, during clean air days, etc).
Ensuring heating registers aren't blocked by furniture, carpet, drapes can help your heating system perform better.