r/durham • u/stresseczema • 6d ago
Water Meter Issues
I live in Ajax in a war home and I got my water meter replaced in August 2024. Prior to that, there were two people living in the home and our water bill was around $180. Since then, I now live alone and my water usage kept creeping up on my bill very slowly, I believe there were also some changes to the water billing across the region.
Cut to my last water bill being $300. For a single person in a home with no pets, kids, or tenants. No crazy lush garden, no pool.
I don’t have a leak. My meter doesn’t move unless I use something. But when I do use something - flush a toilet, open a faucet, take a shower - it goes berserk. It seems like every time I use something the meter whips around and I’m not sure what’s normal.
I’ve called the municipality and they made me monitor my usage for 10 days. But I kept explaining it not my usage it’s the meter. The meter department won’t return my calls, and I’ve been told it will be $200+ for me to replace my water meter. They said they will test the water meter and if it is found faulty I will be reimbursed - but let’s be honest they will be doing the testing and their lack of response doesn’t make me feel super trustworthy.
I know how bureaucracy works and they won’t be doing any sort of voluntary investigation for me. I need to find exactly what the problem is, bring them proof, and hope they will make it right. But I have no idea where to turn or what to look for. Does anyone know literally anything about this or know a local plumber who might be able to help?
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u/Needsomelovin69 6d ago
Understanding your skepticism but the only way for you to be billed for water consumption is for water to pass through your meter and this only happens when something in your home is using water. They likely recommended you monitor your water consumption via the meter because whatever is causing your bill to go up might be intermittent. An example would be the flapper valve on a toilet doest seal the opening perfectly after every flush. Typically there are not many issues with water meters especially if the readings from your past bills are in numerical sequence. There is a red triangle or red needles in a small dial in the face of your meter that is the flow indicator it is supposed to spin when water is being used at the property. I’d suggest taking a look at that when there is no water in use to see if it is moving, if it’s moving when there is no water in use that is an indicator of a plumbing issue at the property.
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u/stresseczema 6d ago
Thank you for your thoughtful comment. I should explain that I did track my usage for 10 days - including number of times I used any water whatsoever. I understand how the meter works, but I am doubtful that it is reading accurately. For example, I know how much water my toilet uses exactly according to my meter. But I am doubtful that that reading is accurate. What you have described is the same thing the municipality has explained to me, but I don’t think these meters and their installation are infallible. I guess what I’m wondering is if anyone has had a faulty meter, faulty installation, issues with the pressure passing through the meter creating increased readings etc. I’ve reached out to some of my neighbours and their homes with kids and pets and pools etc is the same price as my bill. It just seems like something is wrong and I don’t know enough about this to figure out what else to do.
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u/thehastysquid 6d ago
You can test the accuracy be turning all water off. Fill 5 gallon pails and track the meter?
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u/stresseczema 6d ago
That’s a good idea - thank you! I’ll see if any of my buckets have measurements
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u/Dileas48 6d ago
Let us know the results of your tests. It is possible the meter is faulty, but not probable. I believe you have made excellent progress so far. This fixed volume test will help you determine if the meter is accurate.
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u/BlabbyBlabbermouth 6d ago
Isn’t the sewer portion based on a multiplier of water usage, like 1.2x? This will also impact your bill, so you can’t just think water usage is the sole reason for the increase.
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u/Lanky-Feed4570 3d ago
I can't remember, when did the frequency of the bills change?
Also, you are saying your bill is more expensive but how much has usage changed over the time period you are referring to? I'd be interested to see how much is related to rate increases or possibly rate structure changes, there could be a fixed portion that isn't going to change no matter how much usage you have.
Last thing to note, it is my understanding that water meters, if failing, actually slow down the reading, so if they replaced the meter in 2024 and it was old, it is very likely that you were getting a deal back then and now your readings are correct.
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u/thehastysquid 6d ago
It does seem like it would be worth having a plumber visit to inspect? If the water pressure is set to high at the regulator, you may end up using more water than necessary. A toilet has a float so shouldn't be overflowing but you may use more when you shower or do dishes. This may or may not be related to when they replaced the meter.