Could the increase be due to irrigation and/or outdoor watering?

Very likely! Landscape watering typically accounts for the majority of household water use during summer months. Higher water use increases water bills - and increases the demand on our water supply.

Additional Information

  • Verify the settings on your irrigation controllers and/or timers. Make sure your system is set to water when and how much you want and that you are not watering more than twice a week as stated in the current water guidelines.
  • Be sure your sprinkler system controller has a fresh battery so that it can maintain the watering schedule in the event of a power outage. Without this backup energy supply, the controller goes back to the default settings - often watering every day.
  • Conduct a full irrigation system audit - An audit of the irrigation system has been shown to be the most effective tool for maximizing water use efficiency in the landscape. Irrigation audits consist of three main activities: Site inspection, performance testing, and irrigation scheduling.

Show All Answers

1. What is considered average water usage?
2. Where could the increase in my water usage be coming from?
3. Could the increase be due to irrigation and/or outdoor watering?
4. My bill seems higher than usual?
5. My consumption did not change greatly but the billed amount did?
6. I am concerned my meter reading is not accurate?