If you see a sudden increase in your water bill and are wondering why your Toronto water bill is too high, it could be time to call in the pros for an inspection.
A high water bill is both troublesome and frustrating for homeowners, renters, and commercial property owners. Not only does it mean that precious resources may be going to waste somewhere within the property, but also that the financial burden can become unbearable with such an expensive utility like water.
Canada is home to one-fifth of the world’s fresh water. But that doesn’t mean we should waste it.
According to the U.S. EPA, households can account for nearly 10,000 gallons wasted every year. Additionally, ten percent of homes have leaks, wasting 90 gallons or more per day. This wastage costs Canadians $2 billion annually in lost revenue.
So, what are the causes of a high Toronto water bill, and how can you prevent it?
Read on to learn more.
Why Is My Water Bill So High? Common Causes of High Water Bills
Meter Errors
The first thing you should do when checking your utility bill is to make sure you do not have an error on the water meter. If you detect fluctuations in consumption and rate, this could be due to many factors such as leaks or other malfunctions with plumbing fixtures throughout your home.
If you cannot detect a problem, try calling The City of Toronto Water Division’s customer service for help identifying why these extraordinary water bill increases happened overnight.
Improper Home Appliance Installation / Home Appliances with High Water Usage
If you’ve just moved into a new home in the Greater Toronto Area, consider that the previous occupant might have installed a new home appliance such as a washing machine or dishwasher without properly activating it yet.
This could cause both higher usage rates as well as increased costs associated with using excessive amounts of water.
Common examples include:
- Water‐cooled air conditioners
- Improperly adjusted humidifiers attached to a furnace
- Sump pumps that have water-powered backup
Leaking Waterline? Contact Our Toronto Team For Help.
Outdated or Leaky Pipes and Plumbing Fixtures
Toronto’s aging plumbing fixtures are a common sight in many homes. An unusually high water bill usually occurs due to a leak or change in water usage. Some common causes of this are:
- A broken water pipe or obvious leak (check for leaks in pipes serving hidden areas in the home)
- A dripping faucet (faucet drips can waste up to 20 gallons of water a day)
- A leaking or running toilet
- Filling or topping off a swimming pool or hot tub
- Water softener problems – for example, it cycles continuously
The City of Toronto has seen an increase of newer models with increased efficiency that can help save money for homeowners who want to prevent water leaks while also caring about sustainability.
Check your home’s faucets, toilets, and showerheads for WaterSense labelling or date of manufacture to avoid unexpected water bill costs later on. In addition, regular maintenance of your plumbing fixtures can catch leaky toilets, dripping faucets, and broken water pipes well ahead of time and before they become a major problem.
Seasonal Water Use Changes and Bad Household Habits
A minor change in your household’s seasonal water use habits can have a big impact on your water bills. This could be one reason why your Toronto water bill is too high. Adding new guests or family members often leads people to higher water usage. The best fix to counter those spikes is planning as much as possible and budgeting finances accordingly.
You must also change those wasteful habits, especially in the summer when everyone uses more water than usual. Other minor changes you can make in the home to ensure proper water usage include avoiding:
Keeping the water on while brushing teeth or shaving
- Lengthy showers; keep showers to less than five minutes to save up to 1,000 gallons of water every month
- Overwatering lawns
- Running water to thaw frozen foods and meats instead of taking them out of the freezer a few hours before you need to cook them
- Unregulated use of water-consuming recreational toys and equipment
- Using front-loading instead of top-loading laundry machines, which consume two hundred percent more water
- Using washing machines for half- or quarter-loads instead of full laundry loads
- Washing dishes by hand; surprisingly, doing this consumes 4-5 times more water than dishwashers
Lateral Line and Irrigation Leaks
Not all water leaks happen inside your property. In some cases, one of the pipes feeding water from your metered connection to your home may have a crack or loose joint. The causes vary, but things like pipe age and seismic activity can be contributing factors if your Toronto water bill is too high.
As soon as you start to notice that your bill is higher than usual, it’s time for a chat with the plumber. If an irrigation line or lateral water supply pipe has been leaking and has wasted enormous amounts of water, a professional plumber can quickly look into the problem before things worsen!
A professional will recommend what kind of repair would work best in these kinds of cases. Common remedies include camera inspection to locate the problem and trenchless pipe repair and replacement to fix it.
Let Our MT Drains & Plumbing Experts Help You Reduce Your Water Bill
Don’t let a water bill surprise you. If your Toronto water bill is too high and you’ve only started noticing a problem, don’t hesitate to call MT Drains & Plumbing. We can usually fix the issue with proper replacement pipes, which in most cases won’t cost too much money.
Just one example would involve installing more efficient PEX (polymer) or PVC piping systems in place of the old copper ones. Another solution would be installing more efficient plumbing fixtures with WaterSense labelling.
Get in touch with our plumbing experts at MT Drains & Plumbing to schedule a free inspection and obtain a cost estimate. If you have any questions, we’ll give you the best advice before beginning any work.
Our MT Drains & Plumbing team proudly serves communities in the City of Toronto, Vaughan, Markham Hill, Oshawa, and throughout the GTA, so contact us at (905) 761-5551 for service today.
