Do I have a leak?

How do I check for a water leak?

Your water meter has a needle that turns like the second hand of a clock. Each time it goes around, one cubic foot of water (or 7.48 gallons) has been used. Most water meters also have a small triangle or star shaped dial (colored red or blue) that detects when a small amount of water is flowing through the meter.

To the left is a picture of what your meter register may look like.

To determine if you have a leak, take the following steps:
1. Turn off water all sources being used in the house or any water features in your yard.
2. Look closely at the triangle/star shaped dial for thirty seconds. If this dial moves at all, then water is flowing through the meter and you may have a leak.
3. You may want to start checking your hose connections, toilets, faucets, sprinkler systems, or any water features for drips or running water.

You've determined that you have a water leak.  What now?

Any leaks on private property are the responsibility of the property owner to locate and repair. However, the City recognizes that leakage at a customer’s premises may occur and cause an unusually high utility bill.  The City may at its discretion and upon being provided proof, grant a utility bill credit to the customer for up to half of the leaked amount compared to normal usage.

Leak adjustments may be made for up to 6 months from the date the leak is first identified.  Leak adjustments will not be provided from the date the leak is identified to the date that the leak is fixed so any identified leak should be fixed immediately and is at the expense of the customer.  A customer may request a credit no more than one time every 12 months.

In order to qualify for the leak adjustment the customer must provide documentation, such as a plumber’s bill or receipt, that a leak did exist, the leak was sufficient in size to use an excessive amount of utility service, and that the leak has been fixed. The customer request must be in writing and must include the customer name, service address, date of request, date leak was detected, date leak was repaired, and a description of repairs made. 

Upon receipt of such documentation, the City shall determine whether to allow a leak adjustment. Documentation may be emailed to the City at utilitybilling@milwaukieoregon.gov, or mailed to Milwaukie Utility Billing, 10501 SE Main Street, Milwaukie, OR 97222.

The leak adjustment will be applied to the overage of utility service above average usage and any related fees such as sewer adjustments if applicable. If there is no previous usage history available, consumption may be estimated on the basis of usage levels of similar customers and under similar conditions.

The current portion of the utility bill including all fees must be kept up to date to qualify for this adjustment credit, and to avoid service interruption.

The adjusted portion will be calculated at half the current water rate charged above normal usage for the property. The adjustment will be credited to the customer account after the City has obtained a full month meter reading.

This policy requires prompt corrective action by the customer with evidence of repair before a credit can be applied.

Simple tips on how to prevent water leaks:

• Periodically you should check all faucets for drips, replace worn and leaking washers, gaskets, pipes or defective fixtures.
• Check for leaks on outside faucets, and make sure the valve closes properly.
• Check toilets for leaks - This is the most common cause of high water bills.
• Check the overflow of the tank to make sure no water is running over float level may be set too high
• The flapper valve in the bottom of the tank is also a location of a possible leaking toilet.

To check for a flapper valve leak, put a small amount of food coloring in the toilet tank after it has filled.  Do not flush the toilet for at least an hour, or overnight if possible. If the food coloring shows up in the bowl without flushing, you probably have a leaking flapper or plunger ball valve. Various sizes of water leaks and how much water can be lost: 

• A dripping leak consumes | 15 gal. Per day | 450 gal. per month
• 1/8 in. leak consumes | 3,806 gal. Per day | 114,200 gal. per month
• 1/32 in. leak consumes | 264 gal. Per day | 7,920 gal. per month
• 1/4 in. leak consumes |15,226 gal. Per day | 456,800 gal. per month
• 1/16 in. leak consumes | 943 gal. Per day | 28,300 gal. per month
• 1/2 in. leak consumes | 60,900 gal. Per day | 1,827,000 gal. per month

Studies show that dripping faucets and leaking toilets account for as much as 14% of all indoor water use, equivalent to 10 gallons (38 liters) per person of water lost per day.

Further information or assistance is available from your local plumber.

Local water conservation resources - Clackamas River Water Providers