Water meter
 

I got my second consecutive nasty letter from the water company, telling me I am using too much water. With all the rain last month, the lawn needed little help from the irrigation system. I am looking for the water meter and can't find it. Want to write number down, don't use water for an hour and compare to see if the number change.

Where is it? I have a designer Iris. I walked around the house and can't locate it.

Tom... it will be out in your yard under a big plastic cover... about 12" X 15". Just pull up the cover and you can read you meters. Don't pull the cover too far, since there are wires connected to the sensors the meter reader uses. Took me forever to find mine ... :-)

First verify on the bill if it's house water or irrigation water that is causing the issue. Usually a letter means irrigation is high, but verify.

If house water follow the procedure you were doing by verifying the meter is not running when no water is being used. Meter is generally between the homes about 20 feet from the road under a green cover.

If it's irrigation. Double check the programing on your irrigation system and make sure you only have one program set. There are 4 separate and distinct programs for each setting and you could have multiple start times set.

When I first got there that was an issue and I didn't notice the 1 through 4 possible set ups until I saw the sprinklers on when they should not have been.

Second check to see that the rain sensor is on so that when it rains it does not water at the same time.

Check for a leak, or leaks in the irrigation system. The leak may be underground where you can't see it, or you may see a mound of sand that has been pushed up by the water leaking.......this would be the first thing I would check, if my water usage went up by much. You may have to call in an irrigation company to check your system.

Tom, your home is still under warranty, isn't it? If you do indeed feel you have a leak, check with the warranty department before you have someone come out to do a repair.

Bill :wave:

And Tom, when you lift up the lid...be cautious...we had a critter using it as his own retirement home!

We called the water company and the issue was the hose water. We had used it to water the five new additions in my landscape. One hour per tree for a month. The trees are now safe and watering will be regular. I added (should have done this earlier) a 7th zone the irrigation system and the water should be less expensive. When they send out these nasty reminders about excessive water use, the water company should do so with the bill, so you can compare the usage and where the overage was. I have my sprinkler system on a timer, twice a week and the rain sensor is on. I assume in November, I should change the system to once a week?????

water meter box
 

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For some homes the cover may be concrete. More difficult to pry off than plastic. Note memason's warning about wires. Very important.

I'm surprised. Their business is selling water. That is like Publix sending you a letter that you are buying too much food. I guess they have to be mindful of conserving water, although I'm sure after a few too large bills you'd figure it out. Several years ago in my last home in S. Fla. I got a hugh water bill. I found that the valve on my sprinkler system didn't close completely and water kept running, but not with enough pressure to raise the sprinkler heads. I never noticed it until walking in an area of the yard that had puddles in it. It was running 24 hours a day.

I was surprised to learn the irrigation water cost more then potable water so I called to find out why and was told "we charge more for irrigation water so people don't abuse it".
However, there's no rule/law that says you can't water with your hose as far as I know.

I had a very high water bill a couple of months ago. I called the number on the water bill (750-0000), told them the problem and my account number. They sent out two technicians who took off the concrete cover and discovered a leak on my side of the meter. They are not authorized to fix it but gave me a card of a friend who does that stuff. It was fixed within one hour after I called and cost me only $60. The water company techs do not charge for their service. They showed me a little triangle symbol on the meter and if that is turning, there is water being used. I have checked it a couple of times since having the leak fixed - and no problem.

Good luck.

My homewatch person told me that the potable water usage from hoses and lawn sprinklers that are connected to the house faucets will then drive up the sewer charges. I have not confirmed that, but it is believable.

That is true. Think about it. Would you like to wash your car or take a sip of the water coming out of the hose or take a shower-bath (soak yourself with the hose while you are washing the car to cool off) or give your dog a drink from the hose and use NON-potable water?

It is probably for safety reasons.

Probably every water system in the US; the charges for serwer are based on water consumption. How else would it be determined?

GeorgeT-

You can use a hose from your spigot to water your plants, trees, or yard anytime you want. The only one that is monitored is your irrigation system - and if you live South of 466 - that is not drinking water but "reclaimed" water. North of 466 - all the water both inside and irrigation system is drinking water. We get one bill with no separation between the two - and it is less expensive, too, than South of 466.

Sorry, don't know. We've been living in a condo for 18 years. All this stuff is built into the common association charges.

Woah!! Let me get this straight. Are you are saying that, in all areas of The Villages, only the water used by the irrigation system is metered??

So this might mean that if you built a swimming pool there would be no cost for filling it.

Please tell me where you got this information. Thanks.

Monitored from a usage standpoint. High usage will trigger a form letter about higher than normal usage.
I built a pool in March, paid for the water to fill it and the sewer too.:(

No, that is not what I meant. Sorry if I was unclear.

North of 466, the water we use to irrigate the lawn is potable water just like what we drink in the house. There is not a separate breakdown on the monthly water bill for irrigation water. I have been told the bills North of 466 are less than the bills for water South of 466. All the water is metered.

You can use your hose anytime to water your plants or lawn. This water is potable water no matter where you live in The Villages.

The water for lawn irrigation South of 466 is reclaimed water and is not potable. I believe there is a separate breakdown on the water bill and it is more expensive than the potable water.

FYI:
My July Water bill charges are $1.68 /K for potable water and $1.82 for Irrigation water. My home is in Hemingway south of 466.

Bob