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 Water Leak
Information
Water Leaks
Have you ever wondered if you have a water leak? You can use your water
meter to help you find out.
Checking for a Leak at the Water Meter
When you open the water meter box, the meter should be in the center of the
box in a level position. On occasion, you will find the meter tilted. It
still works fine, but it is harder to read the odometer.
If water is in the meter box, it does not mean that you have a leak in your
water line. It usually comes from ground moisture due to rain or sprinkler
systems. To be sure, you should dip the water out of the box. You may have
to do this several times due to ground saturation.
If you notice water spewing from the meter or the meter connections (the
nuts and bolts that connect the meter to the cut-off valve or your water
line) call Benton Utilities Water Dept. for repairs at 501-776-5933. If you
notice a leak on the line that goes to your house, call a plumber.
Checking for a Leak Beyond the Water Meter
If no leak is detected in the meter box, your next step is to look at the
water meter register. You may have to wipe the register face off with a wet
towel to see the entire meter face. Do not tamper with the electronic meter
reading device, if your meter is equipped with one. Dirt usually settles on
the meter from month to month due to rain, irrigation and other moisture
getting into the meter box.
Here’s where it gets a little complicated, but you can do it. To detect a
leak, turn off all water in the house and watch the red dial for movement.
(Remember: If you have an icemaker or some other device that automatically
turns water on, it will be detected at the water meter.)
Example: If the red dial moves two tenths of a gallon in one minute you are
using one gallon of water every five minutes or 12 gallons of water per
hour. If all water in the house is turned off, there should be no flow of
water through the meter. If the red dial is continually moving forward, and
all water is turned off in the house, you may be losing water by several
methods.
Dripping Faucets are easily recognized. You will have a faucet that does not
completely turn off, and you may hear an annoying "drip, drip, drip".
Leaking toilets are more difficult to detect. Water loss may be caused by
leaking parts or an incorrect setting. You may not always hear the problem.
If the flapper valve in the toilet tank is not seating well, water will flow
from the tank to the bowl and eventually down the drain as the bowl fills to
a certain level. This problem can be detected by putting some food coloring
into the tank. Wait a while and see if the water in the bowl has begun to
change color. If so, the flapper valve is the problem. Check more than once.
The flapper valve may seat properly some of the time, but not all of the
time. This can make this type of water loss difficult to detect.
Another way that water loss can occur in a toilet is through the overflow in
the tank. The overflow is the open pipe, usually located in the middle of
the tank. If the float allows water to rise too high, water will go into the
overflow pipe and down the drain. The best way to detect this is to take the
top off the tank and see if water is at the top of the overflow pipe. If it
is, the float may need to be adjusted.
Check for Leaky Faucets - The next place to check for leaks are your sink
and bathtub faucets. Replacing the rubber O-ring or washer inside the valve
can usually repair dripping faucets.
Landscape irrigation problems can also result in water loss. These problems
normally occur when sprinklers are on. There may be a break in the line or a
malfunction in one of the sprinkler heads. Check to see if some parts of
your lawn remain wet even when the sprinklers have not been on.
Remember: These are just suggested places to look for water loss first, and
are not intended to be all-inclusive. If you will check these things first,
it may save both you and the Benton Water Dept. time and money.
Leak Size Chart
The following chart shows the amount of water that can be lost (and billed
to your account) for various size leaks.
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A dripping leak consumes:
15 gal. per day
450 gal. per month |
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A 1/8 in. leak consumes:
3,806 gal. per day
114,200 gal. per month |
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A 1/32 in. leak consumes:
264 gal. per day
7,920 gal. per month |
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A 1/4 in. leak consumes:
15,226 gal. per day
456,800 gal. per month |
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A 1/16 in. leak consumes:
943 gal. per day
28,300 gal. per month |
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A 1/2 in. leak consumes:
60,900 gal. per day
1,827,000 gal. per month |
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