City of Columbus

High Bills and Outdoor Seasonal Watering

A high water bill can signal a problem such as a leak, or be the result of seasonal, outdoor water usage (watering the lawn or garden, washing the car, etc). The resources below should help you establish what is average, determine the cause of a high bill & reduce your water usage.

 
•   Request Toilet Dye Strips    To test for a running toilet.  Offer limited to area residents only.
    You can also put food coloring in the toilet tank - do not flush. Wait 15 minutes. If food coloring shows up in the bowl, you have a leak.
 
•     1" of rain/water per week is enough to keep most lawns healthy.    
 
• A high bill could be the result of an inaccurate reading or based on an estimated reading. Learn  how to read your meter    and compare it to the  reading on your bill.    

You can control the amount of your bill by conserving water and energy usage.  Learn more by visiting our  Home Conservation Tips  page. Here are some quick tips (view larger/PDF):