Leak Detection
Pinpoint a hidden leak using acoustic listening, thermal imaging and pressure tests.
Homeowner guide
High Water Bill in Commerce City, CO: Finding the Cause
A high water bill is either more use or a leak. The meter tells you which. If it moves when every tap is off, you have a leak somewhere.
By the Mile High Express Plumbing team · published
Check use first
Think about what changed: guests, a new baby, a filled spa, extra irrigation in a hot month or a new appliance. Summer bills in Colorado are often higher because of watering. If use explains it, the bill is correct.
Compare to the same month last year. Seasonal swings are normal.
Do the meter test
Turn off all water use, and read the meter. Wait two hours without using water, and read it again. If the number moved or the leak indicator turns, you have a leak.
The district's meter-pit leak line is 303-288-2646 for leaks on the utility side.
Toilets
A flapper that leaks is the most common hidden cause. Put food coloring in the tank and wait a quarter hour. The running toilet guide covers the repair.
Check every toilet, not only the one you use most.
Irrigation
A valve stuck open, a broken sprinkler head or a controller set for long cycles can use thousands of gallons. Walk the yard while the system runs, and look for geysers, soggy spots and water running in the street.
Adjust run times in cool months and shut the system off for winter.
Eight suspects behind a high bill
Locate the row that fits and run its first test.
| Suspect | Hint | Test to run first |
|---|---|---|
| Leaking toilet flapper | A quiet, steady loss | Color the tank water |
| Sprinklers | A stuck zone, broken head or long run times | Watch the yard during a cycle |
| Leak inside a wall or floor | Stains and a musty smell | Meter test |
| Buried service line | A soggy lawn strip | Close the main and watch the dial |
| Slab leak | Warm floor spots | Meter test, then listen |
| Water heater | Damp base | Look beneath the tank |
| Spa or hot tub | A falling water level | Track the level for a day |
| Ordinary extra use | Houseguests or a dry, hot month | Compare against household habits |
Hidden leaks in walls and floors
Stains, a musty smell and warm floor spots point to a concealed leak. Leak detection finds them without opening large areas.
Check the water heater and appliance hoses too.
A buried supply line
A soggy patch of lawn or a drop in pressure can mean the line from meter to house has failed. Shut the main at the house; a meter that keeps turning places the leak outdoors. A water line repair resolves it.
If water appears near the meter, call the district.
Slab leaks and spas
A leak under a slab can run for months before it shows. Warm spots, running water sounds and rising bills are clues. Slab leak detection pinpoints it.
A spa or hot tub that loses water also adds to the bill. See spa plumbing.
What to do next
Fix the cause, then watch the meter. Ask the utility if it offers a one-time adjustment for a repaired leak. Some do, some do not.
Keep the repair invoice. It may help with the request.
Reading the bill itself
Look at the usage figure, not only the total. Compare it with the same billing period last year and with the previous two bills. A steady rise suggests a slow leak or a change in habits. A sudden jump suggests a break, a stuck valve or an irrigation fault.
Check the billing dates too. A longer period than usual means more days of use. If the meter reading on the bill looks wrong, compare it with the number you read yourself at the meter. A misread is rare but possible, and the district can check it.
Small habits that add up
A leaking faucet that drips once a second can waste thousands of gallons over a year. Long showers, a dishwasher run half empty and a washing machine set to a high water level all add up. Installing aerators and fixing drips are the quickest savings.
A garden hose left running, a children's pool filled often or washing a car on the driveway each week raises summer use. None of these is a leak, but they explain why a Colorado summer bill can double the winter one.
A repeatable monthly check
Pick a day each month to read the meter in the morning and again before bed with no one home. Write both numbers down. If the number changes, find out why before the bill arrives. This habit catches leaks within weeks instead of months.
Add a food coloring test of each toilet twice a year. These two small checks find most of the leaks that quietly run up a water bill.
When to call for help
Call if the meter moves with everything off and you cannot find the cause, if the lawn is wet and the weather is dry or if you see a stain growing on a ceiling. Leak detection can find the problem without tearing out large areas.
Fix the cause before you argue with the bill. Keep the repair invoice and ask the utility whether it can review the bill for the period. Bring the meter readings you wrote down, because they show when the leak started and how large it was.
Appliances that waste water
An old washing machine, a dishwasher with a failing inlet valve or an ice maker line with a pinhole can leak or use more water than expected. Pull the appliance out and check the hose, the shutoff and the floor.
Replace rubber hoses with braided steel and write the date on them. Hoses older than a handful of years are a common source of sudden flooding.
Common questions
Water bill questions
The meter test is the best check. Movement with all water off means a leak.
Policies vary. Ask your provider after the repair.
Yes. It can waste hundreds of gallons a month.
Irrigation and outdoor use rise in hot months.
Services that help
Water Line Repair & Replacement
Fix or replace the buried supply pipe running from the meter to your home.
Slab Leak Detection & Repair
Find and repair a failing pipe under a concrete floor, garage slab or basement floor.
Keep reading
How to find a water leak
A meter, a few paper towels and a systematic walk-through can find most leaks before they cause damage.
Running toilet fix
A running toilet wastes a lot of water. Most are fixed by a flapper, a chain or a fill valve in minutes.
Outdoor spigot leaking
A dripping hose bib wastes water, and a frozen one can split the pipe inside the wall. Here is how to fix and winterize it.
Bill shot up and you cannot tell why?
Phone in and tell us what changed. A local contractor will be arranged.