Leaking pipes can have an enormous impact on your water bill. Many times a leak is not visible on the surface, either in the yard or in the house. To determine if you have a leak, write down the read on your water meter. Do not turn on any faucets or flush the toilet. Reread your meter in about two hours. If the read has changed, you have a leak.

Diameter of Leak		Gallons Lost/Day		Gallons Lost/Year
	1/32"	178		64,970
	1/8"	2,850		1,040,250
	1/4"	11,400		4,161,000
	3/8"	25,650		9,362,250
	1/2"	45,600		16,644,000

High water bills may just be caused by poor habits. Over watering can damage plant root systems and cause excessive storm drain runoff. For information about how you can make water-wise choices, visit www.h2ouse.org or contact the City of Escondido Utilities Administration Department at (760) 839-4657 for a free in-home water use survey.