Service Issues

We want to provide our customers accurate bills that reflect the actual amount of water they have used. However, small leaks in your home can quickly add up to many gallons lost. A dripping faucet can waste 15 gallons a day. Just a 1/8" sized leak consumes more than 3,500 gallons per day. Most leaks are easy to find, but some can go undetected. If your bill is unusually high, a little investigating can save both water and money.

To find out if you have a leak, you may want to check:

• Your toilet. It is not uncommon to lose more than 1,000 gallons a week to a toilet leak. You can check for leaks by putting a few drops of food coloring in the tank, then watch for a few minutes. If the color shows up in the bowl, you have a leak that needs to be repaired.
• Dishwashers and washing machines. Look for drips or stains underneath or behind these appliances.
• Indoor and outdoor faucets. Do not leave faucets open to hoses when not in use. Replace worn gaskets and washers.
• Sprinkler systems. Check for damaged sprinkler system heads and system leaks.

If your water pressure suddenly drops to almost nothing, it is most likely a result of a broken water line and must be reported immediately.

If your water pressure is consistently low, first check to see if the problem is only noticeable in certain parts of your home, or if it is only for hot or cold water. This would indicate a problem with your home's interior plumbing. If it is consistently low and is noticeable throughout the entire house, the pressure will tend to drop when more than one faucet is being used.

Possible causes for low pressure in your house might be:

• The main valve at the water meter is off or partially off.
• Screens on the faucets are plugged.
• A plumbing problem.

Possible causes for low pressure in your area might be:

• A main break in your area.
• A major fire.
• Water main maintenance work.
• Water main construction work.

If your home is in a geographically low point or near a water pumping facility, you may experience high water pressure. Unfortunately, PUB cannot alleviate high water pressure, but you may consider having a plumber install a pressure-reducing valve at your home. Remember: it's always a good idea to get more than one price quote.

After water line work or hydrant flushing has been completed, a brown stain in a toilet bowl, sink, or tub may develop. The stain is caused by the oxidized or solid form of minerals (iron or manganese) left in the water distribution system from before the new treatment plant was built in the early 1980s. Many products are available to remove the stain, including Iron Out® and RED-OUT. The bisulfite reduces the solid material in the stain to a soluble form.

If your water bill is unusually high, a leak may have been detected while reading your meter. PUB is responsible for maintaining the line leading to your home or business's meter or curb stop, and of the meter itself. The property owner is responsible for the service line behind the meter and the rest of the property's plumbing. When you report the problem, please provide as much description as possible about the situation. PUB will dispatch a service technician to evaluate the problem as soon as possible. If a leak exists on a public water line, then a work order will be created and a crew dispatched.

All leaks are a priority, but water distribution crews maintain a 200-mile water pipe network, and the timing of maintenance is based largely on workload. Leaks posing a potential threat to health and safety are classified as emergencies and always receive immediate attention. Other leaks are repaired based on severity (amount of water loss, the potential for pavement or property damage, etc.). Depending on workload, the response time can sometimes be a little longer for the smallest leaks. We appreciate your patience and understanding as we work to address water leaks.

Usually, problems with rusty water are caused by some sort of disturbance in the distribution system. If you experience rusty water, try to avoid using any water to limit the amount of rust you pull inside your plumbing system. Postpone doing laundry until after the problem clears up. If you have already done laundry and it is stained, do not dry it. The water plant has information available about a product that may remove the stains.

Have the following information ready when you call to report:

• When did you first notice the problem (time of day)?
• Is the problem with both the hot and cold water?
• Are you aware if any of your neighbors are experiencing the same problem?
• Are you aware of any construction work occurring in your area?

It is often difficult to isolate the cause of taste or odor problems. If you experience objectionable tastes or odors, please contact the water plant.

Have the following information ready when you call to report:

• When did you first notice the problem (time of day)?
• Is the problem with both the hot and cold water?
• Have you installed a new water heater recently (within the past year)?

Overflows are sewage spills that occur when sanitary collection pipes are blocked or restricted, causing wastewater to back up in the pipe and flow out through manholes. Most overflows are relatively small and can be stopped and cleaned up quickly. If left unattended, however, overflows can result in property damage, foul odors, environmental problems, and fish kills. In a worst-case scenario, they can create public health and safety hazards. Our goal is to have zero overflows, and it's our job to keep the community's wastewater collection and treatment systems in good working order to stop overflows.