What's with my irrigation bill?

[ivanhoe]

We moved in April of this year and we paid an irrigation and sewer bill of $11.48 at closing on April 1 why I don't really know but we paid it.

During our first period 4/19-5/21 irrigation bill was $8.76, usage 4,560.
The irrigation system was OFF the entire time.

5/21-6/20 irrigation bill $7.08, usage 3,690.
System OFF the entire time.

6/20-7/22 bill $4.11, usage 2,140.
System OFF.

Now, 7/22-8/23 $8.58, usage 4,470!!
System has been OFF!

We have had the system on only to plug the drip tubes. This can't be a leak since the bill would not have gone down. Any ideas?

[Warren Kiefer]

We moved in April of this year and we paid an irrigation and sewer bill of $11.48 at closing on April 1 why I don't really know but we paid it.

During our first period 4/19-5/21 irrigation bill was $8.76, usage 4,560.
The irrigation system was OFF the entire time.

5/21-6/20 irrigation bill $7.08, usage 3,690.
System OFF the entire time.

6/20-7/22 bill $4.11, usage 2,140.
System OFF.

Now, 7/22-8/23 $8.58, usage 4,470!!
System has been OFF!

We have had the system on only to plug the drip tubes. This can't be a leak since the bill would not have gone down. Any ideas?

Normally a sewer bill is determined by the amount of drinking water used in the home. Many times there is a minimum charge even if no water was used. On a new home purchase, the contractors use some water and this is charges to the hew home owner. This is also true with electric billing.

[bkcunningham1]

I just texted with someone I know who works in billing. Here is what she said: "Tell them to call the office & we'll send someone out to check the meter and look for signs of an issue. Also advise they should check the irrigation zone box in the yard for signs of leak. Just b/c they turned the timer off, doesn't mean that they or their lawn man didn't turn it on at the zone box at some point."

I hope that helps.

[e-flyer]

Interesting, I hope you get an answer, perhaps you need to call the warranty dept and have your system looked at. Seems to me there has to be a leak somewhere since you are seeing various usage levels. I've checked my meter to see if my rain sensor is working on a rainy week recently, and my meter nos. didn't change so no leaks on mine.

Being a recent newbie, on my walk through, the irrigation folks said water twice a week. We have a corner lot and watering twice in one week is about 6500 gals., so not cheap if you do the math for a monthly bill. I'm curious as to how your lawn looks with only mother nature's sprinkling? Are your plants and grass doing well? Maybe irrigating is overrated, especially with all the rain this area has had this summer???? I was surprised that 3000 gals of potable water is slightly cheaper than 3000 gals. of reclaimed water???

[bkcunningham1]

352.750.0000

[bkcunningham1]

Also, from the billing person: "Also, if they're on the new side, they can call Hunter Irrigation to just verify the timer settings with them over the phone, if they have questions about that. 800-733-2823."

[784caroline]

Interesting, I hope you get an answer, perhaps you need to call the warranty dept and have your system looked at. Seems to me there has to be a leak somewhere since you are seeing various usage levels. I've checked my meter to see if my rain sensor is working on a rainy week recently, and my meter nos. didn't change so no leaks on mine.

Being a recent newbie, on my walk through, the irrigation folks said water twice a week. We have a corner lot and watering twice in one week is about 6500 gals., so not cheap if you do the math for a monthly bill. I'm curious as to how your lawn looks with only mother nature's sprinkling? Are your plants and grass doing well? Maybe irrigating is overrated, especially with all the rain this area has had this summer???? I was surprised that 3000 gals of potable water is slightly cheaper than 3000 gals. of reclaimed water???

NOT TRUE.....3000 gallons of potable water is more than twcie as expensive as irrigation water considering all factors! See below...

Comparing 3000 gallons of potable water use to irrigation

POTABLE water
Base use..............................$8.26
3000 gal x 1.76/thousand .......5.28
Sewer 3000 X 4.22/Thou........12.66

Total for Potable water...........$26.14

IRRIGATION USE

Base........................................5.54
3000 galons X 1.92/thou gal.......5.76

Total for Irrigation use...............$11.30


Note: Did not include Sewer base charge in potable use of $11.78.

[Bogie Shooter]

We moved in April of this year and we paid an irrigation and sewer bill of $11.48 at closing on April 1 why I don't really know but we paid it.

During our first period 4/19-5/21 irrigation bill was $8.76, usage 4,560.
The irrigation system was OFF the entire time.

5/21-6/20 irrigation bill $7.08, usage 3,690.
System OFF the entire time.

6/20-7/22 bill $4.11, usage 2,140.
System OFF.

Now, 7/22-8/23 $8.58, usage 4,470!!
System has been OFF!

We have had the system on only to plug the drip tubes. This can't be a leak since the bill would not have gone down. Any ideas?

Are you sure that all programs are off?

[e-flyer]

Interesting, I hope you get an answer, perhaps you need to call the warranty dept and have your system looked at. Seems to me there has to be a leak somewhere since you are seeing various usage levels. I've checked my meter to see if my rain sensor is working on a rainy week recently, and my meter nos. didn't change so no leaks on mine.

Being a recent newbie, on my walk through, the irrigation folks said water twice a week. We have a corner lot and watering twice in one week is about 6500 gals., so not cheap if you do the math for a monthly bill. I'm curious as to how your lawn looks with only mother nature's sprinkling? Are your plants and grass doing well? Maybe irrigating is overrated, especially with all the rain this area has had this summer???? I was surprised that 3000 gals of potable water is slightly cheaper than 3000 gals. of reclaimed water???

NOT TRUE.....3000 gallons of potable water is more than twcie as expensive as irrigation water considering all factors! See below...

Comparing 3000 gallons of potable water use to irrigation

POTABLE water
Base use..............................$8.26
3000 gal x 1.76/thousand .......5.28
Sewer 3000 X 4.22/Thou........12.66

Total for Potable water...........$26.14

IRRIGATION USE

Base........................................5.54
3000 galons X 1.92/thou gal.......5.76

Total for Irrigation use...............$11.30


Note: Did not include Sewer base charge in potable use of $11.78.

IT'S TRUE, if you look at the cost per gal. not including the base charge. It's all in the way you look at it. Using your numbers above....
$1.76//thou gal. for the 1st 3000 gal. of potable water
$1.92/thou gal. for the 1st 3000 gal. of irrigation water

[784caroline]

The cost per 1000 gallons of potable water uses a lower rate BUT you cannot "buy" potable water without the sewer charges.

Wether something is cheaper or more expensive in my mind is how much I am going to pay for something....a cheaper rate does not correlate to cheaper cost when you are buying it because you cannot buy it aone ...it has to come with the sewer charges.

[e-flyer]

Whatever makes you guys happy. :1rotfl:

I'd still like to know how his flowers/shrubs/lawn is doing without using the irrigations system for the entire summer. :popcorn:

[784caroline]

I call a shop and i need a mechanic..We can send you a rookie mechanic for $1 an hour or a more experienced mechanic for $2 /hr. The Rookie takes 3 hours to fix your problem whereas the senior guy take 1 hour, Who is cheaper?? The rate matters...but not when you consider the total cost.

In response to your latter questions, very little irrrigation has been needed this summer....everything including the golf courses are the best they have ever been in years comming into the fall/winter season.

[ivanhoe]

Thank you everyone for the very useful information...special thanks to bkcunnigham1 I'll be using the phone number...thanks again.

I have a ROCK garden maybe 10 shrubs and three palms.

We purchased pre-owned and were never happy with the landscape so I decided to "live-n-let die" anything not robust enough to survive the rainy season with no help from me. No grass.

The three palms are fine along with one "sister" and robellini...we had plenty of rain and the weeds were doing fine so I left it OFF for the entire summer.

We had lights installed and the guy did hit the irrigation system BUT we ran it for 5-10 minutes two days in a row, checking before filling in the hole. I don't suspect a problem there.

The usage is just too variable for any explanation and I'll have to get a meter check.

Thanks to everyone...I can always depend on TOTV.

[sueandskip]

Just a thought...There is an automatic setting on the timer box...If it is on then the water will automatically water when the ground gets to dry....Shut the water off at the ground box located outside....

[bluejaypop]

Say, not to be too off topic but we just purchased a new house in Hillsborough and do all of the new places with irrigation systems have a roof mounted guage/sensor to monitor precipitation? Thanks.

[tommy steam]

Say, not to be too off topic but we just purchased a new house in Hillsborough and do all of the new places with irrigation systems have a roof mounted guage/sensor to monitor precipitation? Thanks.

I would say yes. Call the company who installed your system. The company's telephone number should be in the inside of the box where your sprinkler programmer is.

[KeepingItReal]

Just a thought...There is an automatic setting on the timer box...If it is on then the water will automatically water when the ground gets to dry....Shut the water off at the ground box located outside....

Unless your controller is different from the Hunter Pro I have the only thing automatic is it is supposed to turn off the next irrigation cycle if it has just rained. The rain sensor is outside near the edge of the roof but it rarely if ever works properly. Switch inside activates or deactivates it. Supposedly when the sensor dries out after a rain it will resume the programmed irrigation cycles. In reality it will usually just continue the normal irrigation cycles even if it is raining and actually never turns them off. It is just a piece of cork that swells when wet and conducts. As far as the ground being dry there is not anything to tell the controller whether the ground is dry or wet. The solar sync module located behind the inner door is about as accurate as the rain sensor and works best when it is totally removed.

How to Program the Hunter Pro C Controller, click below:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9aOb_m1QUM

How to Program Solar Sync Module, click below:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=NfugRI0YqEQ



Most all of the irrigation supplies installed in the Villages come form Florida Irrigation Supply on the left, on HWY441/27 just north of the Hwy 42 intersection. (North of the Villages)

[KeepingItReal]

Say, not to be too off topic but we just purchased a new house in Hillsborough and do all of the new places with irrigation systems have a roof mounted guage/sensor to monitor precipitation? Thanks.

Yes.. kinda.... (Also see post # 17.) In your pre-closing walk through with your builder on the day of closing you should get a number to call for the company that installed your irrigation system. They will come out and give you some instructions and explain your irrigation system. It's kinda of like drinking from a fire hose.

[Celebrator]

We have had our irrigation turned off for the past 2 months and our flowers and shrubs are fine. If we have four or five days of no rain, I will water the plants. Only necessary once so far this summer.

[ivanhoe]

UPDATE!

A good friend came over and pulled the plate out front of my CYV only to uncover THREE station modules with servos.
(I was told by previous owner that the place had TWO zones.)

He manually turned on each module and we checked the irrigation.

Zone ONE and TWO coincided with the areas I was told of (front / back)..number THREE did nothing...we think.

I'm calling for a meter check and as long as this rain keeps up I'll leave the system off.

Thanks for all the input friends.

[casita37]

Our last bill was much higher than usual. Hubby checked and thinks it was set to water 4 days per week!!!!! Last we knew it was set for once a week. He didn't change it, and I swear you can't even find my finger prints on the box. NO idea what was up with that, but looking forward to the next bill to see if there is a difference. BTW, haven't noticed the sprinkler running.....

[Halibut]

I always turn off the sprinkler system entirely in the summer and haven't had any issues with the landscaping.

We have the standard full lawn in the front and back except for some curbing/rocks around two trees and the lamppost, plus shrubs along the front walkway. Nothing delicate and no flowers, so others might not fare as well.

Water usage (excluding fees) was $2.28 last month! I don't know why I get such a kick out of thwarting that, but I do.