Your water bill is calculated in CCFs. A CCF is 100 Cubic Feet of water, or 748 gallons. An unusually high water bill is typically caused by a change in water use or a leak. Some common causes of high water bills include:
- A leaking toilet, or a toilet that continues to run after being flushed.
- A dripping faucet; a faucet drip can waste 20 gallons or more a day.
- Filling or topping off a swimming pool or hot tub.
- Watering the lawn, new grass or trees.
- Children home for summer vacations or school holidays or house guests.
- A broken water pipe or obvious leak.
The RWA issues bills on a monthly basis, and the cause of an increase in water usage may not always be immediately apparent. If you have a high bill and do not have a leak, did you have house guests, water your lawn more than usual or do anything else out of the ordinary that uses a lot of water?
You can monitor your water usage and gain insight into how and when you use water using our online Water Watch tool, accessible from our RWA Connect online account portal. Water Watch can help you identify the times where you consume the most water and detect possible leaks before they cause damage to your home or leave you with a high bill.
If you have reviewed your bill and still have questions on the amount due or the usage being charged, contact us at 203-562-4020 or by writing ask.billing@rwater.com. The RWA also offers a Residential Water Assistance program for qualified individuals who need help paying their water bill.
Find Your Water Meter
Your water meter is the best detective for finding leaks in your home. The meter is usually located in the basement behind the cellar wall valve or near the street in a vault.
Check for Leaks
- Make sure no water is being used inside or outside of your house. Don’t forget automatic ice makers and sprinkler controllers.
- Check the leak indicator on your meter. If the indicator dial is moving, you likely have a leak.
- Or take a meter reading, wait 1–2 hours (without using water), and take another reading. If it changed, a leak is present.
Outdoor and Underground Leaks
One of the biggest sources of high water bills is irrigation. An average sprinkler head uses 2 gallons per minute. A system with 20 heads running 20 minutes daily uses 24,000 gallons monthly.
To monitor irrigation usage, take a meter reading at the start and end of a watering cycle. Based on this information, you can adjust watering to avoid excessive use.