City of Miner

Helpful Hints


High Bill?

If you receive a bill that displays a usage that is higher than normal, you might have a leak somewhere within your system.  Here are some steps to follow that will help you determine if you have a leak of if you simply experienced a period of high usage. 

  • It is important to know the location of your meter on your property.  Water meters are installed in pits underground.  The pit is covered with a metal or plastic lid that lies somewhat flat on the ground.  The meter should be located near the road in front of your home, but this is not always the case.  
  • It is also important to know how to read your meter since you as the customer are ultimately responsible for the water that passes through that meter.  
  • Take a paper and pencil with you to your meter.  Write down the digits on that are displayed on the face of your meter.  
  • Look at the dials on the face of the meter if the dials are moving any at all that means that there is water going through the meter.  If nobody is using the water the dials on the meter should not be turning.  
  • If the dials on the meter are turning:    
  1. There is water flowing through your meter.  You probably have a leak.  It is your responsibility to locate the leak and repair it.  Any
  2. water that passes through your meter is your responsibility.  The City of Miner does not repair leaks to your system.  
  • If the dials on the meter are not turning:
  1. Track your usage for a period of time.  Daily readings will teach you what your daily usage is.  
Sometimes a onetime high bill can be the result of an event of which you may be unaware:  a hose left running, a toilet ran for a period of time (toilets can leak right down the drain and you would never be aware).  These things happen in a busy life and people forget or they are unaware they happened.  

Using the reading that you wrote down:  Look at your bill.  Find the reading that is listed under “Current”.  Subtract the number that you wrote down from the “Current” reading located on your water bill.  The difference is the number of gallons that has gone through the meter since the date that the “Current” reading was collected.