[About Your
Water Meter] [To Verify Your
Billing]
[The Audit][Use Your
Meter to Check for Leaks]
In-Home Water Audit
"How Could We Possibly Use All That Water?!"
"Where Does The Water Go?"
Do you think your water usage is unreasonably high?
Are you amazed each time you receive your water
bill to find out the amount of water that has gone
through your meter into your plumbing system? Do
you feel sure the meter is wrong or was read wrong?
This in-home water audit is designed to help customers
better understand their in-home water use habits.
To effectively manage your water use, you'll need
to determine where the water is being used and how
much is being used. With a little time and a few
simple calculations, you may find the answer to
the "where" and "how much."
Locate your water meter:
The water meter measures the amount of water
that enters your plumbing system. It usually can
be found in the front yard under the cover of
your meter box. The top of the meter has a little
door you can lift. Under the door is the meter
dial. The meter measures water in gallons.
Reading your water meter:
Water meters are much like the odometer on your
car. The sweep hand measures each gallon of water,
up to 10 gallons. Notice the first number on the
right is a stationary zero; there's no need for
it to move because the sweep hand does its work.
The main purpose for the sweep hand is testing.
Except for the stationary zero, the rest of the
number is read like the odometer.
Top of Page
Water & Wastewater Services reads your meter every month. We are unable
to read it on the same day every month due to different
lengths of months, holidays, etc., but we do read
it every 28 to 32 days. The actual date that your
meter is read will appear on your bill. The increase
in the reading from the previous month's reading
is your "consumption" for the month and is the basis
for your bill.
It's very easy to verify the
accuracy of your bill by checking the reading on
your meter every month and subtracting the previous
month's reading. The result of your calculation
should be the same as the amount of consumption
on your bill.
Note the illustration above.
The meter on the right shows the reading during
the month of May. This reading is 1,000 gallons.
The meter on the left shows the same meter in June,
one month later. Now the meter reading is 11,000
gallons.
If you subtract the May reading
of 1,000 gallons from the June reading of 11,000
gallons you will find that this customer will be
billed for a consumption of 10,000 gallons.
Top of Page
Toilet
Number of flushes daily
...........................................___________
Average gallons of water Per flush ...........................
-------- x 4
Total gallons per day
...............................................___________x
30 = ________ total/mo.
Shower
Number of showers per day ......................................___________
Average length of shower time ..................................___________
Total time shower runs .............................................___________
Average gallons per minute ......................................--------
x 6
Total gallons per day ................................................___________x
30 = ________ total/mo.
Tub Bath
Number of baths per day ..........................................___________
Average gallons per bath ..........................................--------
x 30
Total gallons per day ................................................___________x
30 = ________ total/mo.
Open Kitchen/Lavatory Faucets
Minutes faucets are open ..........................................___________
(Include toothbrushing, shaving,
food preparation, clean-up,
flushing garbage disposal,
rinsing dishes, etc.)
Average gallons per minute ......................................--------
x 3.5
Total gallons per day ...............................................___________x
30 = ________ total/mo.
Dishwasher
Number of loads per day .........................................___________
Average gallons per load .........................................--------
x 15
Total gallons per day ..............................................___________x
30 = ________ total/mo.
Automatic Clothes Washer
Number of loads per day ........................................___________
Average gallons per load ........................................--------
x 30
Total gallons per day ..............................................___________x
30 = ________ total/mo.
Washing Car
Minutes water runs .................................................___________
Average gallons per minute.....................................--------
x 6
Total gallons per wash ...........................................___________
Frequency of wash per month...........___________
x ________ gal./wash =________ total/mo.
Washing Driveway/Patio Sidewalk
Minutes water runs .................................................___________
Average gallons per minute.....................................--------
x 6
Total gallons per wash ............................................___________
Frequency of wash per month............___________
x ________ gal./wash =________ total/mo.
Top of Page
How Do You
Compare?
The water usage chart is a helpful tool to
determine how you compare to the "average" home.
Keep in mind the actual home will vary from the
"average."
An Example of Household Water
Usage
Family of Four - June Rough Estimate
| Flushing Toilet - 4 gals/flush x 15
flushes/day x 30 days |
------ |
1,800 |
| Washing Clothes - 30 gals/load x 4
loads per week x 4 weeks |
|
480 |
| Washing Dishes - 15 gals/load x 7 loads
per week x 4 weeks |
|
420 |
| Taking Baths - 30 gals/bath x 4 people
x 30 days |
|
3,600 |
| Watering Lawn - 524 gals/100 sq. Ft.
x 3000 sq. ft. |
|
5,720 |
| Running Water until Cold - 3.5 gals/min
(gpm) x 5 min x 30 days |
|
525 |
| Water for Drinking/Cooking & other
Misc. - 20 gals x 30 days |
|
600 |
| Washing Car - 6 (gpm) x 15 mins x 2/month |
|
180 |
| Washing Driveway - 6 (gpm) x 15 mins
x 2/month |
|
180 |
| Pool Evaporation - (estimated from
University of Arizona figures) |
|
1,500 |
| Water for Trees/Shrubs - (est.) |
|
500 |
|
Total |
15,505 |
To check for a fast water leak, turn off all water
faucets in and around your home. Watch the sweep
hand for a few minutes, if it remains stationary
there is no water flowing through the meter, hence
no leaks. To detect slow leaks, note the position
of the sweep hand. Wait a least 15 minutes and check
the position of the sweep hand again. This time,
the delay check will help you to detect a slow leak.
