Free service offered for North Bay water customers to find leaks, save water amid drought
MARIN COUNTY – With the Bay Area stuck in a severe drought, reducing water waste is key. A free service offered to North Bay water customers could help lower bills and save water.
There are some basic steps if you suspect there's a leak in your house, making your water bill more expensive than it should. Finding that leak is half the battle.
In a free service offered by Marin Water, a conservation specialist can come to a customer's home.
"The most common thing that leaks indoors is toilets," said Marin Water Conservation Specialist Christina Mountanos.
Deep into this drought, Californians are doing what they can to cut back on water usage including shutting off sprinklers, limiting lawn watering, shortening showers, and letting the car get dirtier.
To check for a leak, first shut off any running water in the house. That includes making sure the dishwasher and laundry machine aren't running.
Second, locate the water meter and look for the low flow indicator, which is usually a triangle shape in the center of the meter. If it's not moving, there's no continuous leak.
If the indicator is moving, the leak needs to be isolated next by turning off the main water shut off valves for the house and for the irrigation.
Is the indicator still moving? There's a leak in the supply line from the meter to the house, so look for a puddle or wet area, and call a plumber to fix it.
If the low flow indicator stopped moving, the leak is either in the house or in the irrigation system.
To check if the leak is in the house, turn on the main shutoff valve to the house and leave the irrigation valve on. If the meter indicator is moving again, the leak is in the house, so now check for toilet leaks.
To check if the leak is in the irrigation system, turn off the main shutoff valve and turn on the irrigation valve.
If the indicator is moving again, the leak is in the irrigation system. Find and repair the leak or call a landscape professional.
Leaks waste water and cost money. Once that leak has been repaired, you may be eligible for a rate adjustment on your water bill by contacting customer service.