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Water Bill FAQs

Why are my bills so high?

Though there could be many reasons for a higher-than-expected water bill, here are some of the most common:

Leaks, toilets, faucets, humidifiers, pipes & joints and water cooled equipment.

  • Toilets are the most common problem and should be checked regularly to make sure they are operating properly. A moderate leak can go through about 12,000 gallons in a month. Many people think that a toilet always makes noise when it leaks; this is not true. The best way to check a toilet for leaks is visually (a flashlight and food coloring are very helpful.) If the handle sticks and you have to shake it to make it stop running, there is a leak.
  • Check overflow tube to make sure it is not running over all the time.
  • Put a few drops of food coloring in the tank (part against the wall) and let it set for 30 to 45 minutes. If colored water seeps into the toilet bowl, the flapper is not sealing properly. This makes the toilet refill itself.
  • Faucet leaks are usually obvious, but in addition to checking bathroom and kitchen sinks, be sure to check bathtubs, shower, and stationary tubs and hose connections.
  • Humidifiers operate in much the same way as do toilets, but usually there is a tube which runs to a drain; check there for running water.
  • Pipe & Joint leaks are obvious when they are in an open area, but can go unnoticed for a long time when they occur in a hidden area, like a crawl space, under a porch or underground.
  • Water-cooled equipment, usually used in commercial operations, can be huge consumers of water even when operating properly, and then can develop leaks which amplify the usage. Consideration should be given to replacing this equipment with air-cooled devices.

Seasonal use: lawn sprinkling, car washing, swimming pools.

  • Lawn Sprinkling and other irrigation can add up tremendously, anywhere from five to twenty gallons per minute. Was it hot and dry during the reading period?
  • Car Washing doesn’t need to use up a lot of water; run the hose only when you’re rinsing.
  • Swimming Pools: Pool size and how often the water is renewed are key factors.

Number of Occupants – Rule of Thumb

  • Each person in a household uses between three and four units of water (a unit is 100 cubic feet, which is 748 gallons). There is no hard and fast rule in this regard: people vary greatly in their habits, but this rule of thumb gives you an idea of average. Water use usually increases significantly in warmer weather because of seasonal use, but also because of increased showering and clothes washing. Other considerations: company staying over during the reading period, or when children are home from school.
  • Days of service are usually 30 days, but there are times where it could be fewer or more days of service in the reading period.

Usually, there are 30 days of service in a reading period—though there may be reading periods during the year that have slightly more or slightly fewer days.

Bills are estimated when there is a problem reading the meter. Typically, a door hanger notifying the home owner or resident is left at the property first, requesting that you call our office set up an appointment so that we may correct the problem. If there is no response within the listed amount of time, the metering department will estimate your usage.

This happens when a water/sewer rate change occurs during a reading period (as opposed to at the very beginning of one).  When calculating your bill, the system will automatically break-down and prorate your usage based on the rate increase and when it took effect. This proration is displayed on the bill in the form of these two charges (actually one charge, but split in two based on when the rate change took effect).

Please Note: You will only see this split on the bill for the first month of the rate change.

The bills for each of the three water zones in Lakewood are mailed on the same day each month by our printer, so delays are unlikely (if not impossible). Please contact our office at (216) 529-6820 so that we may verify that we have the correct mailing address for your bills. If the problem persists, please contact your local post office, as there may be a problem on their end.

There are various utility bill payment assistance programs available to Lakewood residents. Click the links below to learn more about each of these organizations.

In a lease situation, usually the landlord provides water/hot water to the tenants—and so the landlord would be considered responsible for payment of the bill. However, this arrangement might be dependent upon the terms of the lease.

If you have questions about your lease agreement, please contact the Cleveland Tenants Organization for landlords and tenants at (216) 432-0609 or (216) 432-0617. You may also meet with a Cleveland Tenant Organization representative in-person every Wednesday evening between 5:30 PM and 7:30 PM at the Lakewood Community Service Center, located at 14234 Madison Avenue, Lakewood, OH 44107.

If you sell your property or purchase a new property, please contact our office as soon as possible at (216) 529-6820 and choose Option 2 so that we may assist you. When you call, please have ready your title transfer date, the name of the Title or Escrow Company, and the name of the new owner.