Water bills don't usually creep up. They jump. One month you're paying what you always pay; the next month it's doubled. Before you call the parish to dispute it, it's worth checking your own system, because in almost every case the answer is hiding somewhere in your house.
This is the most common cause of a sudden spike by a wide margin. A worn flapper lets water leak from the tank into the bowl continuously, often without any sound. A single leaking toilet can waste 200 gallons a day. To test: put a few drops of food coloring in the tank and don't flush. If color shows up in the bowl within 10 minutes, the flapper needs replacement.
The supply line that runs from your meter to your house is buried. If it springs a leak, the water disappears into the ground and you may never see a wet spot. Find your water meter, shut off every fixture in the house, and watch the meter. If it's still moving, you have a leak somewhere between the meter and your home.
If you have a sprinkler system, a broken head or cracked underground line can run thousands of gallons before you notice. Check the system manually and watch for soft, soggy patches in the yard.
A slow leak from the tank's pressure relief valve or a fitting can run continuously. Check the floor around the unit and the pan beneath it.
Easiest diagnostic: turn off every water-using appliance in the house, then check your meter. If the dial is still moving, water is flowing somewhere it shouldn't be. From there we can isolate where.
If you've checked the obvious spots and can't find it, that's where we come in. We have leak detection equipment that can pinpoint the location without having to dig up your yard.
