TEXAS, USA — Unusually high water bills are a hot topic across Central Texas. People are wondering why they are seeing such a jump and what the average price should be.
The City of Belton says rates do not change in the summer - what changes is a user's consumption rate.
"High water bills typically are tied to consumption," Paul Romer, Director of Communications with the City of Belton, said.
Romer recommends always being mindful of water usage, but there are other things that you should pay close attention to.
Firstly, always check your irrigation system. Make sure the sprinkler heads are functioning correctly and not leaking or you could see a ramp up in your water bill.
Another culprit for high water bills are leaky toilets, something that is frequently overlooked by many home owners.
Kevin Reinke, Utilities Director for the City of Hewitt, says when most people think of a leak, they assume they need to see water on the ground, but since the water flows down the sewer, leaking toilets don't leave any signs of a leak until you get the bill.
"That is the number one silent user of water," Reinke said. "Most people don't realize that... there's 1400 minutes in a day, so if your toilet is leaking one gallon a minute, and you don't know that, you're using over 1400 gallons every day that you don't realize."
City officials urge home owners to pay close attention to water usage this summer because the heat and drought conditions can cause unexpected leaks which puts an unneeded strain on the water supply.
"We've been asking people, please conserve water because we're in stage two drought right now," Romer added.
If you have a water leak outside, contact your city. If it's inside your home, contact a plumber.
The City of Hewitt has an app to regulate water usage. You can set alerts if you exceed a certain amount of water.
The City of Waco has a software called My Waco Water portal. This manages your water account and tracks your usage.
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