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Old 09-02-2009, 02:06 PM
 
28 posts, read 166,598 times
Reputation: 45

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Hi!

DH and I just moved to Midlothian (from Grand Prairie) and we got our first water bill here. I was floored at the amount! I think they made a mistake, but I'm not sure where to start other than calling them which got me nowhere - said I should make sure we have no leaky toilets, etc., yada yada yada.

Our usage was more than 6 times our normal water usage. The billing cycle was only 3 weeks (because it was the first bill), so I know it doesn't have to do with the dates. I just checked our meter and the slow leak dial is NOT turning. I'm trying to figure out what is going on here. We haven't done anything the least bit unusual in these three weeks.

I guess my question is this - is it possible they estimated our usage based on the previous occupant's usage? There is a sprinkler system installed (currently we have the water shut off to it) so I would assume they were watering the lawn and using a lot more water than we are at the moment. How likely is that, though? Surely they go out and take an actual read when water is shut off/turned on in the new person's name. Or is it customary around here that they don't do that? I will call them to ask about this tomorrow, but I want to be armed with some info before I do by making sure I've read my meter correctly and I'm still unsure about that.

I'm just not sure where to start. I tried reading the meter but it's been three weeks since the last read date and I can't make sense of how they get the "current" / "previous" numbers. Clearly they are omitting something somewhere - do they not use the final number on the meter before the "0" that is painted on?

I just don't want to call a plumber and spend even more money than I would have spent to pay the extra on our bill if it is a simple billing error. Just not sure how to resolve this. Any recommendations/advice would be helpful.

Thanks!
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Old 09-02-2009, 04:08 PM
 
Location: Lakewood Heights
56 posts, read 178,638 times
Reputation: 49
You may want to check your bill for any additional fees above and beyond your water usage. Our first water bill when we moved into our house in Dallas was unusually high, and there was a charge on the bill I couldn't understand (some type of initiation fee). Called them up, and found out that they automatically add a fee to the first bill if you're a new customer. After some probing, I found out that the fee is waived if you're the home owner (not a renter). Good thing I asked, otherwise I would have been stuck paying an $80 fee for nothing
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Old 09-02-2009, 10:27 PM
 
28 posts, read 166,598 times
Reputation: 45
It's definitely the water usage on my bill. The fees are all typical. The sewer/wastewater fee is about twice what it should be, but that's because the city here bases that fee on your water usage. Since the water charge is way over what it should be, the sewer fee is also. Thanks for the suggestion, though! Everything looks normal, though, except the water use! I'm going to call tomorrow and see when they actually took readings. Maybe that will clear some of this up.

I tried to read the meter today, but am not sure if I'm reading right. I think they may have estimated rather than taken an actual reading. If I'm reading the meter right, it shows we've only used 270 gallons in this three weeks vs. the 6700 in the three weeks they billed for based on the numbers on the invoice. That makes me think that they estimated and got it waaaaaaay off based on the prior occupants who I assume watered their lawn a lot more than we have (which is not at all so far). That would we likely have used quite a bit more than 270 gallons (no doubt) in this three weeks, but have made up for the rest of their estimated usage. Of course, that is assuming I know what I'm doing reading it, too! lol
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Old 09-03-2009, 12:49 AM
 
Location: Texas
5,872 posts, read 8,061,686 times
Reputation: 2971
This is from LCRA, but should be the same procedure.

How to read your water meter
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Old 09-03-2009, 07:53 AM
 
Location: Lake Highlands (Dallas)
2,394 posts, read 8,568,045 times
Reputation: 1040
I would definitely suggest spending the $10 to get the tool to open the plate covering your water meter. Get measurements are the same time of day for a couple days in a row - see if that is roughly the same daily water usage you have on your bill. If so, shut off all water in your home and check the meter every 15-20 minutes to see if it's spinning - if so, you have a leak somewhere... but I suspect if you have a massive leak, you'd see soggy ground somewhere.
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Old 09-03-2009, 12:51 PM
 
Location: Coppell
171 posts, read 543,783 times
Reputation: 84
Thanks for the link but I have what could be a really dumb question, so be nice

Do the water meter readers "re-set" the dial back to zero after they've read it? Or do they just input the numbers on their little machines and the math is done by a program in the billing dept?
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Old 09-03-2009, 10:54 PM
 
Location: Texas
5,872 posts, read 8,061,686 times
Reputation: 2971
New reading-minus old reading equals gallons used. New-Old=Use
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Old 09-04-2009, 08:03 AM
 
Location: West, Southwest, East & Northeast
3,463 posts, read 7,284,242 times
Reputation: 871
Quote:
Originally Posted by adpace View Post
It's definitely the water usage on my bill. The fees are all typical. The sewer/wastewater fee is about twice what it should be, but that's because the city here bases that fee on your water usage. Since the water charge is way over what it should be, the sewer fee is also. Thanks for the suggestion, though! Everything looks normal, though, except the water use! I'm going to call tomorrow and see when they actually took readings. Maybe that will clear some of this up.

I tried to read the meter today, but am not sure if I'm reading right. I think they may have estimated rather than taken an actual reading. If I'm reading the meter right, it shows we've only used 270 gallons in this three weeks vs. the 6700 in the three weeks they billed for based on the numbers on the invoice. That makes me think that they estimated and got it waaaaaaay off based on the prior occupants who I assume watered their lawn a lot more than we have (which is not at all so far). That would we likely have used quite a bit more than 270 gallons (no doubt) in this three weeks, but have made up for the rest of their estimated usage. Of course, that is assuming I know what I'm doing reading it, too! lol
What is the multiplier on your meter? Most meters have a multiplier of 10 or 100, which is also shown on your statement. I doubt you only used 270 gallons of water in three weeks! That's only 13 gallons per day for showering, toilet flushes, hand washing, cooking/washing, cleaning, etc. No way!
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