Water billing question

[snowave]

What are people water bills running? I know it can vary widely, but we just moved here and our first bill (without the $30 deposit)was $94 for a month.. which floored me... even with our drip system we have to use (part of the rental agreement).

We have a 3 bdrm house with 2 people. (and a dog and cat) 

[Chesslike]

Unless you have a pretty good size lawn snowave, I think you might want to check for some kind of leak. For a $94 bill, that means you used around 30 CCF of water. At 748 gal./CCF that is equal to over 22,000 gallons for one month or roughly 750 gallons every day. For two people that seems a bit much. Have you checked with the water company to see what the average usage was for the previous tenants? We have two people at our house and I have over 50 fruit and other trees, bushes and vines and very rarely go over 8 CCF per month. I think some investigating on your part is warranted.

[ChrisLynnet]

Well... with just 2 people and 3 pets we do about $50 a month, and that is with NO outside watering. (Our plants are drought resistant or they go away.) If you are running a drip system then $90 is probably right. Of course BostonBob is correct that you should check for leaks just in case.

[rdnckgrl78]

We have 3 people, 2 dogs and a cat and our bill runs just below 50 each month. This includes watering my roses 3-4 days a week.

[samsonite]

I have three people, two dogs and a cat, and I water with drip.  My last bill was $70.17.  We used about 18 ccf.  I do have a very water efficient washing machine and a new dishwasher, so those appliances are Energy Star.

My drip system waters quite a few things so I think you're right in checking things out.  That sounds high.

[snowave]

So i guess I'm solely responsible for the demise of Jackson Lake..

thanks for the info.. I'll check for leaks..

[Wrightwood]

snowave - make sure all water devices inside & outside of your house are shut off - then look at the meter to see if it's turning and you'll know if you have a leak.

[Katwest13]

One of the benefits of renting...no water or trash bills!

[Wrightwood]

One of the benefits of renting...no water or trash bills!

That all depends on the rental agreement.

[luvithere]

That all depends on the rental agreement.

Very true. I had rented 2 different times up here and I was responsible for both the Water & Trash. 

[Katwest13]

I have rented for the past 7 years and I have never paid water or trash. I guess I am just lucky...

[Stitches]

If you live in a multi unit place, it's usually a landlord responsibility.    If it is a single family home, it's usually the responsibility of the renter.     I learned this when I moved out.   They told me if they wanted the renters of the apartments to pay individual bills, the meters would have to placed all over the complex.

My first residence was an apartment in Solana Beach by the race tracks.   I never saw a water bill and the trash was the dumpster placed in the parking lot.    Once I moved out and rented a house, it was my job to deal with starting the utilities and that included water and garbage.

As for the water, our large family uses about $60 worth of water.   No plants outside, except a christmas tree and a peach tree.   They get watered after I've washed the fruits and veggies I wash and have for our meals.

[PinonMesaJon]

snowave,
If you've just moved here from another location, you'll learn that you'll need to be very careful with your water usage. Water is EXTREMELY expensive here in Wrightwood; much higher than any other place I've ever lived. After time, you get used to it, but my guess is that your bill is correct. I don't even want to mention how high our first water bill in Wrightwood was, but it was MUCH higher than yours.

So, in short, get used to expensive water and being conservative with your usage. It's just a part of life in Wrightwood.

[snwbnny]

I guess I should be thrilled with my bill! It is usually 35-38 bucks a month. We don't water outside but we are a family of 5, 2 bathrooms, and an outdated washer with at least 2 loads a day. In all the years we've lived in WW our water bills have always been in the 30s. I'll smile next time I pay the bill.

[hill okie]

I smile cause I'm allowed to live up here!!

[ForestGal]

Dang, snowave, that bill sounds terrible, you absolutely need to check things out, as BostonBob and several others have stated.  My bills, for my house, for just myself and my 10-lb. dog, plus what outside watering I do, via mostly soaker hose on the trees, is $37-38/month.  And $25 of that is just for the meter, whatever else is the water usage.  It's less than that for my rental, which is behind my house, and they are a family of 6, with virtually no outside watering.  I do have to replace the faucet seats in my bathtub, I can't even turn off the faucets tightly enough right now to make it quit leaking, which is a horrible waste of water.  I know how, I've just gotta do it.  Even with that slow leak, my bill is only a third of yours.  Please do some checking.

When I first moved up here, over 31 years ago, the water bill was a flat rate of $60 per year.  Then, they put in the meters, and the rest is history.  Oh well, I can't imagine living anywhere else......

[PinonMesaJon]

OK; so who do I contact to research a water problem?

The Water Company?

A plumber?

We are a family of 2; no kids; rarely a guest. Even in Winter, with NO outside watering, we've NEVER had a bill UNDER $46.00.

I'm really ticked off (to put it lightly)............

[Chesslike]

Try this first:

snowave - make sure all water devices inside & outside of your house are shut off - then look at the meter to see if it's turning and you'll know if you have a leak.

[clint]

We are a family of two, too. Winter bills run $40+ consistently. Summer bills when we water $60+.

But we have a large meter. You may have a large meter size and therefore a high base rate.

[Wrightwood]

PinonMesaJon as Clint mentioned you may have a larger meter. Do you by chance have a fire sprinkler system?

Look on the water bill and see what size of meter is indicated.

A standard residential meter in Wrightwood is 5/8" (without a fire sprinkler system). The basic charge for the 5/8" meter is currently $25.15 plus a state fee of $.86