Question about Irrigation Bill usage

Closed Thread
Thread Tools
  #1  
Old 08-10-2024, 12:40 PM
cfranson cfranson is offline
Junior Member
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 4
Thanks: 6
Thanked 2 Times in 2 Posts
Default Question about Irrigation Bill usage

Hello,
This is my first post, and I hope I'm doing it correctly.

I have been watching my water bill from Minnesota, and the last several months the usage has really jumped compared to last year. We've had our home watch guy check the lawn, and there are no soggy areas. The irrigation has been turned off for the last month due to all the rains. A call to the CDD said this is normal. Does it look normal to you? If not, what is our next step?

Thanks for any ideas, or thoughts you have on our bill.

Cheryl & Richard
Attached Thumbnails
The Villages Florida: Click image for larger version

Name:	Water Bill.jpg
Views:	4365
Size:	44.0 KB
ID:	105202  
  #2  
Old 08-10-2024, 12:48 PM
Normal's Avatar
Normal Normal is offline
Soaring Eagle member
Join Date: Jun 2021
Location: Earth
Posts: 2,350
Thanks: 5,133
Thanked 1,756 Times in 849 Posts
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by cfranson View Post
Hello,
This is my first post, and I hope I'm doing it correctly.

I have been watching my water bill from Minnesota, and the last several months the usage has really jumped compared to last year. We've had our home watch guy check the lawn, and there are no soggy areas. The irrigation has been turned off for the last month due to all the rains. A call to the CDD said this is normal. Does it look normal to you? If not, what is our next step?

Thanks for any ideas, or thoughts you have on our bill.

Cheryl & Richard
Diaphragm problem on one of your shutoff solenoids? Are the areas around the sprinkler heads wet?
__________________
Everywhere

“ Hope Smiles from the threshold of the year to come, Whispering 'it will be happier'.”—-Tennyson

Borta bra men hemma bäst
  #3  
Old 08-10-2024, 01:15 PM
Bill14564 Bill14564 is offline
Sage
Join Date: Nov 2020
Location: Village of Hillsborough
Posts: 6,810
Thanks: 2,087
Thanked 7,255 Times in 2,829 Posts
Default

My irrigation uses close to 1,000 gals every time it runs. If my bill showed the 8,750gal usage that yours does I would assume it ran twice a week for four weeks: eight times for 8,000gals.

You write that the irrigation is turned off - the bill appears to show otherwise.
__________________
Why do people insist on making claims without looking them up first, do they really think no one will check? Proof by emphatic assertion rarely works.
Confirmation bias is real; I can find any number of articles that say so.


Victor, NY
Randallstown, MD
Yakima, WA
Stevensville, MD
Village of Hillsborough
  #4  
Old 08-10-2024, 01:39 PM
villagetinker's Avatar
villagetinker villagetinker is offline
Sage
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Village of Pinellas
Posts: 10,916
Thanks: 3
Thanked 7,958 Times in 2,889 Posts
Default

OP, IMHO, you need to contact an irrigation specialist and have your entire system checked. I have had my Hunter control change ALL of the settings apparently on its own, I also somehow had enabled the A, and then B, C and D programs causing lots of water usage. A specialist should be able to determine exactly what is going on.
__________________
Pennsylvania, for 60+ years, most recently, Allentown, now TV.
  #5  
Old 08-10-2024, 01:44 PM
Battlebasset Battlebasset is offline
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2021
Posts: 469
Thanks: 190
Thanked 611 Times in 224 Posts
Default

Is it just shut off at the box in your garage, or at the box in the ground? If just the box in the garage, it sounds like you have a leak somewhere.

Or your neighbor turned it back on and pointed all of the sprinklers toward his lawn

Last edited by Battlebasset; 08-10-2024 at 01:45 PM. Reason: Clarification.
  #6  
Old 08-10-2024, 02:10 PM
Topspinmo's Avatar
Topspinmo Topspinmo is offline
Sage
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Somewhere over the rainbow
Posts: 14,621
Thanks: 7,365
Thanked 5,968 Times in 3,067 Posts
Default

I don’t have separate irrigation, but I imagine it has meter box? If so you should be able to cut irrigation off look see it meter still shows movement. If not you have no leaks from meter to shut off valve. Now with valve turn on watch meter reading see if the numbers are going up? If so you have leak from shut off valve out to yard some where? I would at least try to isolate it. I don’t know how the charge for irrigation water? Maybe their minimum charge whether use it or not?
  #7  
Old 08-10-2024, 02:55 PM
Bogie Shooter Bogie Shooter is offline
Sage
Join Date: Sep 2008
Posts: 19,652
Thanks: 13
Thanked 6,022 Times in 2,677 Posts
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Topspinmo View Post
I don’t have separate irrigation, but I imagine it has meter box? If so you should be able to cut irrigation off look see it meter still shows movement. If not you have no leaks from meter to shut off valve. Now with valve turn on watch meter reading see if the numbers are going up? If so you have leak from shut off valve out to yard some where? I would at least try to isolate it. I don’t know how the charge for irrigation water? Maybe their minimum charge whether use it or not?
He is in Minnesota…………….
__________________
The further a society drifts from truth the more it will hate those who speak it. George Orwell.
“Only truth and transparency can guarantee freedom”, John McCain
  #8  
Old 08-10-2024, 03:00 PM
Arctic Fox's Avatar
Arctic Fox Arctic Fox is offline
Soaring Eagle member
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 2,397
Thanks: 24
Thanked 1,284 Times in 511 Posts
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Normal View Post
Diaphragm problem on one of your shutoff solenoids? Are the areas around the sprinkler heads wet?
We had similar problem and had all valves replaced and stopcock put in irrigation line (already had one for inside water) so we can "properly" turn off the irrigation, rather than just at the timer.
  #9  
Old 08-10-2024, 10:45 PM
Topspinmo's Avatar
Topspinmo Topspinmo is offline
Sage
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Somewhere over the rainbow
Posts: 14,621
Thanks: 7,365
Thanked 5,968 Times in 3,067 Posts
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Bogie Shooter View Post
He is in Minnesota…………….


our home watch guy check the lawn, and there are no soggy areas“

Have the home watch guy do it or get someone?
  #10  
Old 08-11-2024, 04:38 AM
egmcaninch egmcaninch is offline
Member
Join Date: Jul 2018
Posts: 67
Thanks: 8
Thanked 149 Times in 36 Posts
Default Irrigation Usage

Even with all the rains, a well-maintained irrigation system & new rain sensor, our irrigation bill increased 77% over last month. I've contacted the community district and asked them to come back out to read again. No reason for the increase!
Ernie & Lee Ann
  #11  
Old 08-11-2024, 05:03 AM
Rwirish Rwirish is offline
Gold member
Join Date: Dec 2016
Posts: 1,013
Thanks: 5
Thanked 992 Times in 454 Posts
Default

Looks a bit low and normal unless it has been turned off.
  #12  
Old 08-11-2024, 05:29 AM
MandoMan MandoMan is offline
Platinum member
Join Date: Feb 2020
Location: Tierra del Sol
Posts: 1,847
Thanks: 2,488
Thanked 2,099 Times in 902 Posts
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by cfranson View Post
Hello,
This is my first post, and I hope I'm doing it correctly.

I have been watching my water bill from Minnesota, and the last several months the usage has really jumped compared to last year. We've had our home watch guy check the lawn, and there are no soggy areas. The irrigation has been turned off for the last month due to all the rains. A call to the CDD said this is normal. Does it look normal to you? If not, what is our next step?

Thanks for any ideas, or thoughts you have on our bill.

Cheryl & Richard
Here is my usage chart from last month. I live here all the time in a Courtyard Villa. I think my sprinkler system is on twice a week for ten minutes in the back and three times a week for ten minutes in the front.

Two years ago I lived in a home in The Villages with a larger yard and a pool. My water usage was around 12,000 to 14,000 gallons a month. My first month in my Courtyard Villa, my irrigation was 38,000 gallons! Turned out a pipe was completely broken off and running without restriction whenever the irrigation was running—which was daily for a half hour. And the water was coming out on the neighbor’s property.
Attached Thumbnails
The Villages Florida: Click image for larger version

Name:	IMG_7527.jpg
Views:	1675
Size:	45.9 KB
ID:	105209  
  #13  
Old 08-11-2024, 06:27 AM
PGApromike PGApromike is offline
Member
Join Date: Jul 2023
Location: Newell
Posts: 69
Thanks: 20
Thanked 48 Times in 24 Posts
Default

When installed it's programmed by that company. Typically there is a feature that has seasonal as part of the setup. Of season in this mode it is set to run 1 time per week then in warmer months it is twice per week. You can easily check the watering days now and it is likely 2 or even 3 days a week. You can turn off the seasonal function on your own.
  #14  
Old 08-11-2024, 06:57 AM
brianherlihy brianherlihy is offline
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2019
Posts: 272
Thanks: 2
Thanked 157 Times in 66 Posts
Default

i need to have my how is good in the villages
  #15  
Old 08-11-2024, 06:59 AM
coconutmama coconutmama is offline
Veteran member
Join Date: Apr 2012
Posts: 710
Thanks: 46
Thanked 405 Times in 231 Posts
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Battlebasset View Post
Is it just shut off at the box in your garage, or at the box in the ground? If just the box in the garage, it sounds like you have a leak somewhere.

Or your neighbor turned it back on and pointed all of the sprinklers toward his lawn
We had a leak under ground in the pipe between 2 heads. We only discovered it when our bill was high, although it was shut off, and we did a really thorough exam.

Village Tinker always gives the best advice. Have a pro give it a go
Closed Thread

Tags
bill, usage, normal, irrigation, cdd


You are viewing a new design of the TOTV site. Click here to revert to the old version.

All times are GMT -5. The time now is 06:29 PM.