Why is my utility bill higher than normal?

If you are wondering why your bill is higher than usual, please consider the following items:

Lawn irrigation     During the dry months, irrigation systems are the common source of high water usage.  It is recommended that an established lawn need no more than an average of 1 – 1.5 inches of water per week, or no more than 27,000 gallons on a city lot in a month. 

Residents with new sod or landscaping may be doing additional watering, so please keep this in mind when receiving your utility bills.  Watering new sod multiple times a day could amount to over 500,000 gallons of water in one month!  Once the sod is established, residents should adjust the irrigation schedule to water less often.  

• Rachio SMART Controllers - Take the guesswork out of watering your lawn. Rachio is the only platform that brings together smart sprinkler control, wireless leak detection, and a powerful app in one easy-to-use system. With Rachio, run your sprinkler system anywhere, anytime, right from your smartphone. Guided schedule creation helps you set up the right watering schedules to keep your yard healthy while avoiding overwatering. Visit https://go.rachio.com/carvercounty/ for details regarding a program offered to City of Carver residents.

A toilet that leaks or fails to shut off     The average leaky toilet can waste about 200 gallons of water per day! That’s over 6,000 gallons per month (this is an extra $76 per month on your utility bill). You may not always hear or see a toilet that is running. Check your toilets for leaks by placing food coloring in the tank. If there is a leak, the food coloring will show up in the bowl without flushing the toilet.

A malfunctioning water softener     A leak in your water softener system can be detected by noticing water around the softener or from the bottom or top of the water softener. The backwash valve on the softener can also get stuck, forcing water to be continuously running. Check with the manufacturer for proper regeneration cycles and instructions on how to correct the problem.

A faucet that leaks or drips     Even a slow leak can amount to a large volume of water over time, so residents should fix any leaking or dripping faucets as soon as they are detected.

How to check your usage at home: 

As a homeowner, you are able to check your water meter to calculate your usage at any time.  The meter is typically located in a basement or in a utility near an exterior wall.  You can check this reading periodically to see how much water is running through your meter and what may be causing the usage since your previous reading.

Water Conservation Resources:

• DNR: https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/waters/watermgmt_section/appropriations/water-conservation-residents.html
• Regional Water Providers Consortium: https://www.regionalh2o.org/water-conservation/outdoor-water-conservation/measure-your-sprinklers-water-use
•  Water Conservation in and Around Your Home:  https://www.h2ouse.org/water-conservation/
• 100 Ways to Conserve Water: https://wateruseitwisely.com/100-ways-to-conserve-water/

 Additional information can be found in our Utility Billing FAQs.