Household water costs continue to rise every year. There are ways to minimize water consumption and lower your monthly water bill.
Question: My water bill keeps going up. It’s five times what it used to be at this time last year. What’s going on?
Answer: The first step is to conduct a home water audit to get a greater understanding of the current water usage and any potential areas for improvement. This includes locating and observing the readings on your home water meter. The meter is usually located in a pit near the front curb or on an exterior wall. To most accurately gauge your water consumption, it is best practice to record multiple water meter readings, and then take the average to reduce the effect of outliers.
Once you have gathered a greater understanding of your meter, it’s time to check plumbing fixtures and appliances around the home. Look for obvious signs of leaking around the flooring. This may not seem like a huge deal, but over time this adds up and tacks on to the overall water bill. Toilets that constantly run, even when not in use, or a flapper leaking water into the bowl are signs of leakage. If all plumbing fixtures and appliances look good but you still have high water consumption, your home could have a leaky pipe. Turn off all water to your plumbing fixtures and appliances and then wait an hour and check your water meter. If something has changed, a leaky pipe is highly likely. Call your plumber and request a full plumbing inspection as well as faucet repair or toilet repair.
Take the time to do a water audit. You may be surprised at how much money and water you will save.
Q: How much water does an average household use?
A: It depends on how many people are in the home. The US Geological Survey reports that on average, each person uses about 80-100 gallons of water per day, for indoor home uses. The largest use of household water is to flush the toilet, and after that, to take showers and baths. That is why, in these days of water conservation, we are starting to see toilets and showers that use less water than before.
“The general consensus,” said Linda Stanfield, owner of Stampede Plumbing — a Rosie-Certified Partner — “is that less than 50 gallons a day is an excellent water usage average. Any consumption greater than 80 gallons a day allows for ample room for improvement.”
Q: How can I save water in my home?
A: Convert your fixtures to low-flow plumbing. This is a way to reduce overall water usage without decreasing the water pressure in your home. Most homeowners enjoy a substantial cost reduction in their monthly water bill. A low-flow system typically pays for itself in the first year. Your plumber can give you a complete rundown of the fixtures available to you. Some options include toilets, showers and water heaters. The new fixtures may come with some initial cost, but the decreased gallons per flush and lower flow rates on your faucets and shower heads will make your water consumption decrease and your investment will pay off as time goes on.
Tankless water heaters, also called on-demand water heaters, are another water-saving option. They can be powered by gas and/or electricity. Because they do not run hot water automatically, you need to pair it with a circulation pump if you want instantaneous hot water at each fixture location on demand.
To protect your investment of new low-flow fixtures, it is important to install a water treatment system. In fact, tankless water heaters must be installed with a water softener, as they are not made to withstand Arizona’s hard water.
