• Make sure that your outdoor faucets are turned off.
• Check all of your indoor faucets for drips and leaky seals.
• If you have all outdoor faucets off and no drips from indoor faucets, go to your master water meter and mark or note the position of the dials. Do not use the water for at least two hours and then recheck the dials. If the dials have moved, there is a leak somewhere in the house.

Q. The most common source of water loss in your house is an improperly adjusted toilet tank float or bottom flapper seal. How would I check to see if my water loss is in the toilet?

• To check for water loss, remove the toilet tank cover and look at the level of the water in the tank. If the water level is at the top of the fill tube, the water is overflowing into the tube and causing the toilet to create a constant demand for water. You can repair this condition be adjusting the float. The water level should never be closer to the top of the fill tube than one inch.
• If the level of the water in the toilet tank is correct (not closer than one inch to the top of the fill tube), the other major leak source is the bottom flapper. If the toilet cycles or you can hear the toilet trying to fill up with water, then the bottom flapper is not properly seating. The best solution is to buy a new rubber seat seal to insure proper seating on the bottom drain hole.

Q. Who should I call to have a water leak repaired?

• This depends on where and how involved the leak is. For leaks in the yard and for leaks to the water pipes inside the house you should call a certified plumber. For all other leaks and if the homeowner feels comfortable in repairing small leaks to toilets and faucets, most repairs can be done without calling a plumber. The decision is left to the individual homeowner.

Q. I work during the day and am not available when the meter reader is making his rounds to read the meters. What are my options for obtaining accurate meter readings?

• You can elect to have a remote reader installed on the outside of your home. This device will accurately transmit the inside reading on the master meter to the outside of the house which is available to the meter reader.
• You can call our office to schedule a service call for a meter reader during a specific block of time. We schedule our service calls Monday through Friday between 9:00 a.m. and noon and between noon and 3:00 p.m.

• If you've had three consecutive readings taken by our meter reader, you can ask that we mail you a meter reader card. Once you receive this card you can record your meter reading and return it to us within five days.

Q. Can I pay my water and sewer bill over the telephone or through the Internet?

• We're presently working on providing these service options to our customers. We expect to make these services available during the first quarter of 2005.

Q. The water usage on my bill seems to be too high. Can I get this rechecked?

• Yes. Give us a call and request that your meter be rechecked.

Q. I'm moving to a new house. When should I notify your office of the date I wish to terminate my service?

• Give us a call at least one week prior to the date of your move to schedule an appointment for a final meter reading.

Q. I forgot to schedule a final meter reading before I moved out of my old residence. What should I do?

• As the tenant of record, the responsibility for paying the water bill on that property remains yours until such time as a final meter reading is obtained and service is terminated.
• We suggest that you make arrangements with the new buyer or with the landlord and the current tenant to select a day for our meter reader to visit the property and obtain a final meter reading. Once a day has been selected, call our office to schedule the appointment for your final meter reading.

Q. My water meter is leaking. What should I do?

• If you have a leak at the water meter, call our business office to schedule a service call. One of our technicians will visit your home and either make the repair or advise you on what steps need to be taken to repair your service.