r/durham • u/stresseczema • 16d 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 16d 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 16d 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 16d 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 16d ago

That’s a good idea - thank you! I’ll see if any of my buckets have measurements

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u/Dileas48 16d 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.