Do I Have a Leak?

• HOW DO I CHECK FOR LEAKS?

  • There is a simple test you can perform to use your water meter to detect leaks. First, turn off all your faucets and water-using appliances (such as dish and clothes washers) and be sure no one is using any water.  Then go to your water meter and lift the cover of the meter dial.  Write down all the numbers you see on the meter. Wait 30-60 minutes and check the meter again. If the numbers changed at all, and you are sure there was no water used in the house, you probably have a leak somewhere in your system. 
  • Some meters have a small red or blue triangle or star shaped indicator on the face of the meter, this is used to detect leaks. If small symbol is moving, it also means you probably have a leak.  Retest to be certain; then locate the leak by inspecting all the pipes, fixtures and appliances that use water.

• WHERE SHOULD I LOOK FOR A LEAK?

  • Your toilet may have a silent leak.  Drop a little food coloring in the tank.  Wait about 10 minutes without flushing.  If color appears in the bowl you have a leak.
  • Check for moist spots around and under house plumbing and around the outdoor plumbing.
  • Replace worn washers in faucets and shower heads.  A little drip wastes many gallons each day.

• Below shows the approximate water that is used with different types of leaks:

  • A dripping leak consumes: 15 gal. Per day, 450 gal. per month
  • 1/32 in. leak consumes: 264 gal. Per day, 7,920 gal. per month
  • 1/16 in. leak consumes: 943 gal. Per day, 28,300 gal. per month
  • 1/8 in. leak consumes: 3,806 gal. Per day, 114,200 gal. per month
  • 1/4 in. leak consumes: 15,226 gal. Per day, 456,800 gal. per month
  • 1/2 in. leak consumes: 60,900 gal. Per day, 1,827,000 gal. per month

Water Leak Policy / Adjustment Application

Leak Adjustment Application

Any leaks on private property are the responsibility of the property owner to locate and repair. However, the City of Gladstone recognizes that leakage at a customer’s premises may occur and cause an unusually high utility bill. If notified, the utility billing department may have the Public Works crew verify the meter read.

If it is determined the meter is continuing to register consumption when no water is intentionally in use, and the utility bill shows a substantial amount of water used above the average monthly amount, the customer may qualify for a leak adjustment credit.

A customer may request a credit no more than one time every 12 months. In order to qualify for the leak adjustment, the customer must provide documentation, such as a plumber’s bill or receipt, that a leak did exist, the leak was sufficient in size to use an excessive amount of utility service, and that the leak has been fixed.

Upon receipt of such documentation, Utility Billing shall determine whether to allow a leak adjustment. The customer request must be in writing and must include the customer name, service address, date of the request, date leak was detected, date leak was repaired, and a description of repairs made.

The leak adjustment formula will take the average water usage during the same time period over the previous 3 years to obtain an average amount of water used. The amount refunded will be the amount over and above the City's wholesale rate. If there is no previous usage history available, consumption may be estimated on the basis of usage levels of similar customers and under similar conditions.

The current portion of the utility bill including all fees must be kept up to date to qualify for this adjustment credit and to avoid service interruption.

THE CITY WILL ONLY ADJUST Three MONTHS OF WATER CONSUMPTION OVERAGE, IT IS IN THE CUSTOMERS BEST INTEREST TO GET THE LEAK FIXED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

The adjustment will be credited to the customer account after the Utility Billing Department has obtained a full month meter readingthat has returned to normal consumption.

This policy requires prompt corrective action by the customer with evidence of repair before a credit can be applied.