Leaks can cost a lot of money

Leaks waste tremendous amounts of water. Sewer charges are based on the amount of water that passes through your water meter, whether you used the water or it leaked and was wasted. A toilet that "keeps running" or a dripping faucet can easily waste hundreds of gallons of water in only one month. A toilet that runs all day and night will waste about 200 gallons a day. At that rate, it would cost you an additional $100.00 each quarter or over $400.00 a year.

Check for leaks throughout your home at least once every season of the year. You can control your water costs by fixing leaks.

• Check your Municipal Services Bill each quarter for water use and compare it to past bills.
• Find your water use history online by choosing My Account/My Bill at our home page.
• Large fluctuations in use can indicate leaks.
• Expect increased water use during warm weather months if you water your lawn and garden, fill a pool, or frequently wash your car.

Water use is measured in units called Ccf, which stands for 100 cubic feet. One Ccf of water equals 748 gallons of water.

• The typical person in Milwaukee uses 10 Ccf of water per quarter.
• Multiply 10 by the number of people in your household to give you the number of Ccf for water used in one quarter (for example, 4 people x 10 = 40 Ccf).
• If you are using considerably much more than 10 ccf per person per quarter, you may have water leaks.