Have a client in Cincinnati whose Greater Cincinnati Water Works bill went from 8,000 gallons average to 47,000 gallons last month. That's a jump from $65 to $310. Client swears no leaks, no changes to operations. This is a small office building with just restrooms and a break room sink. GCWW says the meter reading is accurate. Anyone dealt with sudden unexplained water usage spikes like this? Wondering if the meter could be malfunctioning or if there's a hidden leak somewhere.
Water Bill Shows Massive Spike - Leak or Meter Error?
Cecilia, that's a 6x increase which is definitely suspicious for a small office building. First step is to have them shut off all water inside the building and check if the meter is still running. If the dial or digital readout shows flow with everything off, there's definitely a leak. Could be in the service line between the meter and building. I've seen this happen when tree roots damage underground pipes. GCWW should be willing to do a leak adjustment if you can prove it wasn't due to customer negligence.
Also check if the building has any irrigation systems, even old unused ones. I had a similar case in Huntsville where an abandoned sprinkler system valve stuck open underground. Customer had no idea the system even existed - it was installed by the previous tenant years ago. Alabama American Water found it during their leak investigation. 39,000 gallon spike turned out to be three weeks of continuous underground flow.
Update: Randy was right - found a service line leak about 15 feet from the building foundation. Leak detection company found it with acoustic equipment. The line was apparently damaged during some landscaping work in March but didn't surface until the ground thawed. GCWW agreed to a leak adjustment credit of $180, which covers the excess usage above normal consumption. Still fighting over who pays for the $850 repair since it's on customer side of the meter.