Town of McBee

Leaking Pipe

A higher than normal water bill could be an indication of a leak.  Leaks can waste hundreds of gallons of water down the drain and can cost you hundreds of dollars as the leaking water registers through your meter.  

A dripping faucet can use up to 15 gallons a day; a 1/16" opening can use 943 gallons a day; a 1/4" opening can consume 60,900 gallons a day.  

The most common and costly types of leaks can be toilet leaks. A running toilet can use 1 gallon per minute, which equals to 1440 gallons per day. If the overflow tube is running, you can use 7,200 gallons per day. Check your tank to make sure that there is not a continous overflow leak or a leak due to improper seating.  If the toilet is operating properly, you may want to check faucets for worn washers or defective fixtures, check outside water taps to be sure they are completely turned off, check your water heater overflow pipe, or check for an underground leak.  It may be necessary to call a plumber to help identify and/or fix the leak.

Call our office and we will check your meter to determine if there is a leak on your side of the meter, or possibly, on the town side.  

As a courtesy to our customers, the Town of McBee may, upon request and subject to the policy, adjust customer water billing for leaks that occurred on the customer's side of the meter.

Adjustment Guidelines

To ensure your application for adjustment gets processed in a timely manner, please carefully review the following leak adjustment guidelines.

The customer must submit a completed "Leak Adjustment" form provided by the Town of McBee. You may download the form or pick one up at the Town Hall.  Leaks must be repaired prior to review of the request.

Policy

• You must be a customer of the Town of McBee Water Utility for at least a six-month period at the address being considered.
• No more than one leak adjustment is permitted during a twelve (12) month look-back period.
• Non-eligible requests would included: 
• Leaking faucets and toilets;
• Faucets, hoses and other water outlets left running;
• Leaks from frozen pipes
• Water used for filling swimming pools, washing cars, and irrigating lawns and gardens;
• Leaks in plumbing and/or service lines within a year of a newly constructed residence or business

Download the complete Leak Adjustment Policy to determine if you qualify for the adjustment.

Calculating the Adjustment

When a request has been approved for an adjustment, your average monthly "water" usage is calculated based on the past six months of normal usage.  A credit will be given for the usage above the average "normal" use.

NOTE: The customer is responsible for payment of the current billing if the adjustment has not been approved prior to the penalty and/or cut-off date.

• Form: Leak Adjustment