[Topspinmo]

Originally Posted by J1ceasar

Fyi an avg 4 heads per zone can be 10-20 gallons per minute . sixty minutes on means maybe 600-1200 gallons or more times twice a week . just an estimate .

If it’s running A, B, C cycle that could be tripled?

[nikonuser1]

If the rain sensor is working properly, about 4 hours after a heavy rain you can check the screen on your irrigation panel. It should show "OFF" in the window, After a day it should go back to normal.

[fdpaq0580]

Originally Posted by CWGUY

Good question for the WATER DEPT.

Over the past few years, we have received outrageous bills on separate occasions for irrigation and house water. Called water dept and got the "its your problem" speech. Gave me all the scenarios that it could be on MY side. "Better get it fixed before the next billing cycle". Since we had been on vacation, the next bill was already in my hand, and normal again. Apparently the broken lines, water left on, leaking valves, running toilets and broken sprinkler heads miraculously fixed themselves. Impossible.
How about the possibility of reader error, accounting error, office/billing error? "Absolutely not"! Asked to speak with supervisor, was told she's busy. Asked for her to call me back on original and several follow up calls. NEVER got to speak with a supervisor. Did, finally, get a tech to come check the meter which was reading high beyond their accepted range. My bills were over triple when they should have been normal (irrigation) and near zero (house).
My opinion of the water company is pretty low. Since they are the only option we, the customers, are held hostage.
Over the years here I have heard numerous complaints and have yet to hear of the water company ever acknowledging problems on their side.

[tenorgirl]

And they never will. They hold all the cards. I have suspected the readings are not right but get the same response. I think we are being fleeced!!

[villagetinker]

I had a very large bill (37,000 gallons!), and had a very different experience with the water company. First the meter reader happened to be taking the meter reading while I was out front and mentioned that I had used a lot of irrigation water. So I manually ran each zone and checked every spray head, found one not working correctly. Called CSU, and asked if they could double check the reading, to my surprise they already had done that and over a 3 day period I had already used 3500 gallons. I then contacted my lawn company and had them do a complete system check. Here is what they found:
1. There was a leaking sprinkler (small leak) and below grade, hard to find
2. Two other sprinklers were out of adjustment.
3. Then the kicker, my Hunter controller was running 3 addition programs ALL ON THE A program, I was watering 12 times per week!
The system was completely erased, and reprogrammed, and bills have returned to normal. I have no idea how the orginial program was duplicated twice. I have now arranged for a yearly system check.

[fdpaq0580]

Originally Posted by tenorgirl

And they never will. They hold all the cards. I have suspected the readings are not right but get the same response. I think we are being fleeced!!

Agree, but by whom? Is the company occasionally, randomly over billing to increase their revenue, or is it possible that an individual or group are doing some "creative" accounting/billing and syphoning off or redirecting funds. Or, is it just the miss-translation somewhere in the reporting and billing process?
Certainly there are on-site problems in many cases, but they don't generally fix themselves.
My biggest peeve is that they won't even acknowledge the possibility the problem could be at their end, never call, never say they will look into it at their end. Maybe for some customers they do, but I've heard of them doing so.

[OhioBuckeye]

Well I think with all the borrowing & what’s going on in the U.S. everything will be going up. I know to some people this has nothing to do with water rates, but everything will be going up, groceries have already went up considerably. I live in Texas & the same thing here is going on just like in TV. Paying higher taxes won’t start in a generation or 2, it can’t wait that long & the Dem. really think they can fix our economy. Well I better shut up because TOTV has already banned me once about talking about someone or the govt. Have a good day & just pay the higher water bill.

[NoMoSno]

There have been many class-action suits regarding faulty water meters.
Meters fail and are not all 100% accurate.
faulty water meter class action suits - Google Search

[WhoDat]

You need to check the seasonal adjustment and solar sync on your controller. This will change the time for each zone and could lead to increases in the water used, especially this time of year. I over road mine because I couldn't get the times I wanted.