Why Is My Water Bill Suddenly So High? Could It Be a Plumbing Leak?
There are certain bills you expect to change from month to month.
Your water bill usually isn't one of them.
Sure, it might move around a little. Maybe you've been watering outside more often or had
family staying with you. But when you open the bill and the number is noticeably higher than
what you're used to paying, it's hard not to wonder what happened.
Sometimes there's a perfectly normal explanation.
Other times, the extra water is going somewhere you don't know about.
A plumbing leak doesn't always leave a puddle in the middle of the kitchen. Water can escape behind a wall, underneath a floor, through a toilet, or somewhere else in the plumbing system without being immediately obvious.
If your water bill suddenly increased at your Ontario CA home, here's where we'd start
looking.
Before You Blame the Plumbing, Think About What
Changed
A higher bill by itself doesn't prove there's a leak.
Think back over the last month.
Have you been watering the lawn more often?
Did you fill a pool or spa?
Have guests been staying at the house?
Maybe you've been doing more laundry than usual or somebody in the family suddenly
discovered the joy of a thirty minute shower.
Those things add up.
Weather can make a difference too. During hotter periods in the Inland Empire, outdoor
water use can change quite a bit without homeowners realizing how much additional water
they're actually using.
If you can point to something that's changed, you may already have your answer.
It's when your habits haven't changed but the bill has that we'd start looking a little closer.
Check the Toilets
A toilet can waste water without making much of a scene.
Sometimes you'll hear it running constantly, which makes the problem pretty obvious. Other
times the toilet may cycle occasionally when nobody has used it.
You might hear the tank refill for a few seconds while you're standing in another room and
wonder who flushed it.
Nobody did.
Water may be slowly escaping from the tank into the bowl, causing the toilet to refill itself
throughout the day.
One toilet doing this over and over can use more water than you'd expect.
If your bill has increased, walk through the house and listen.
That little sound you've been ignoring might be worth checking.
Take a Look Under the Sinks
This only takes a minute.
Open the cabinets underneath your kitchen and bathroom sinks and actually look around.
Don't just check for standing water.
Run your hand along the bottom of the cabinet. Look around the supply connections and
drain pipes. Pay attention to anything that feels damp or looks swollen.
A slow leak may not produce enough water to spill onto the floor. Sometimes the cabinet
absorbs it first.
You may also notice staining or a damp smell before you see water.
Catching something here is a lot easier than finding it after the bottom of the cabinet has
been wet for weeks.
Your Water Meter Can Help Answer the Question
If you've checked the obvious places and still don't know what's happening, your water meter
can give you another clue.
Choose a time when nobody needs water for a little while.
Turn off the faucets. Make sure the washing machine and dishwasher aren't running. Don't
use the sprinklers. Ask everyone in the house not to flush a toilet.
Then check the meter.
Wait a little while without using any water and check it again.
If the meter shows that water has been used even though everything was turned off, there
may be water moving somewhere in the system.
That doesn't tell you exactly where it's going.
But now you have a reason to keep looking.
For more warning signs, read our guide on how to tell if you have a hidden water leak in your
What If You Can't See the Leak?
This is where homeowners can get frustrated.
The bill says you're using more water.
The meter seems to agree.
But you've checked the toilets, sinks, faucets, and appliances and can't find anything leaking.
The problem may simply be somewhere you can't see.
Water lines run behind walls and underneath floors. Depending on the home, portions of the
plumbing system may be located in areas that aren't accessible without further investigation.
And water doesn't always appear directly beside the damaged pipe.
It can travel before finally showing itself.
You may notice a stain on the wall, a warm area on the floor, a damp smell, or a section of
flooring that suddenly feels different.
If you suspect this is happening, professional leak detection in Ontario CA can help narrow
down the source before unnecessary walls or flooring are opened.
Don't Forget About Outdoor Water
Not every unexplained increase starts inside the house.
Walk around outside too.
Look at hose connections and outdoor faucets. Check for unusually wet areas when the
sprinklers haven't recently been running.
Irrigation systems can also use quite a bit of water when something isn't working correctly.
An outdoor leak can be easy to miss because the water may simply disappear into the soil.
The only clue might be an area that stays wet longer than everything around it or a water bill
that suddenly doesn't make sense.
Could the Water Heater Be Responsible?
Possibly.
If your water heater is leaking, you may see water around the base of the unit, but don't
assume that means the tank itself has failed.
Water can come from fittings, valves, or connections around the heater too.
If you've noticed moisture around the unit, take a closer look rather than ignoring it.
Homeowners goes into the different places that water can come from and when a leak may
point toward a larger problem.
What Should You Do If You Actually Find a Leak?
First, don't panic.
If you can safely stop the water using the shutoff valve for that fixture, do so.
For a larger leak that can't be controlled at the fixture, you may need to shut off the home's
main water supply until the problem can be repaired.
Then figure out what you're actually dealing with.
A dripping connection under a sink and a hidden pipe leak behind a wall aren't the same
problem, and they shouldn't be approached the same way.
We've put together a separate guide explaining what to do when you find a water leak in
your Ontario CA home, including when shutting off the main water supply may be necessary.
Don't Let One Strange Bill Turn Into Three
If your bill goes up once and you know you've been using more water, there may not be
anything to worry about.
But if the next bill arrives and it's high again, don't keep assuming it'll eventually return to
normal.
Something is using that water.
The sooner you figure out what it is, the sooner you can stop paying for water you aren't
intentionally using and, more importantly, find out whether it's causing damage somewhere
in the home.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a small plumbing leak really increase my water bill?
Yes. A small leak can continue using water throughout the day, which can add up over time
even if you never see a large amount of water at once.
How do I know whether my high water bill is caused by a leak?
Start by considering any changes in household or outdoor water use. Check toilets, sinks,
visible plumbing, and outdoor fixtures. You can also check your water meter while everything
is turned off to see whether water still appears to be moving through the system.
Can a toilet cause a high water bill?
Yes. A toilet that continues running or periodically refills when it hasn't been flushed can
waste water without creating any visible leak on the floor.
What if my water meter moves but I can't find a leak?
The leak may be somewhere that isn't visible, such as behind a wall or underneath flooring.
At that point, professional leak detection can help determine where the water is escaping.
Still Can't Explain the Increase?
A high water bill is annoying.
Not knowing why it's high is worse.
If you've checked the obvious places and the numbers still don't make sense, there may be
more happening than you can see.
Royalty Plumbing provides leak detection services in Ontario CA to help homeowners locate
plumbing leaks and understand what needs to happen next.
If your water usage has changed and your household habits haven't, give Royalty Plumbing a
call. Finding out where the water is going now may save you from finding out the harder way
later.
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