H2O Education

Set Up Alerts in the Get to Know Your H2O Customer Portal

Customers can set up various alerts in the portal to monitor meter usage and send a notification when usage exceeds a set amount. Alerts can signal a change in usage and detect a possible leak. Visit the Customer Portal Setup page to learn how to set up alerts for your account.

Check Your Utility Bill

Look at your utility bills from January or February. There is likely a leak if the water usage for a family of four exceeds 12,000 gallons. You can also compare bills from consecutive months and look for spikes in usage month to month.

Read Your Water Meter

Look at the digital numbers on the face of the advanced water meter. The far right digit is the leak indicator. If all water in the home is off and this digit is changing, there might be a leak. 

Find and Fix

Once you have established that a leak is present, begin searching your home to pinpoint the leak and repair it. Many common leaks are quick to find and easy to fix. Below is a list of common culprits and what to look for when tracking down a leak:

• Toilets – Take a toilet test by putting a few drops of food coloring into the tank on the back of the toilet. If after a few minutes there is color visible in the toilet bowl, there is a leak. Flush to avoid staining and replace the toilet flapper.
• Faucets – Listen and look for drips and spraying water, then tighten aerators or replace them along with fixtures if necessary.
• Sprayers – Clean nozzle openings on handheld sink sprayers to ensure a smooth flow of water.
• Sinks – Check under all sinks in the home for pooling water under pipes or rust around joints.
• Shower heads – Turn on and look for drips and stray sprays.
• Tubs – If there is still a lot of water coming out of the tub faucet when the shower is on, it may be time to replace the tub spout diverter.
• Appliances – Dripping or pooling water underneath or behind washing machines and dishwashers can indicate a leak in the supply line. 
• Water heater – Check under the tank for pooling water or rust.
• Hose spigot – Ensure a tight connection with the hose and replace the hose washer as needed.
• Irrigation system – Look for broken sprinkler heads or nozzles spraying in the wrong direction. 
• Throughout the house – Check for signs of moisture on walls and ceilings such as drips or stains.

Where is my Irrigation Box?

The irrigation box is usually in front of the home near the curb or sidewalk. Look for a rectangular green lid in the grass. 

Where is the Leak — Irrigation or Inside the Home?

If you turn off the irrigation water line and the leak is no longer present (the far right number on the water meter stops advancing), the source of the leak may be the irrigation system, which runs on a separate water line. You have more than likely found the source of your leak!

*** Sometimes swimming pools also operate on the irrigation water line. Don’t forget to check pools for the source of the leak. 

Turning Off the Water to Your Irrigation System

The irrigation box cover lifts off without a key. Typically there are two shut off valves on each side that look like levers. Turn one of them a quarter turn to the right (clockwise) to turn off the water.

Over time, irrigation shut off valves can rust and break off. If you open your irrigation box and find the valves missing or badly rusted, you will need to contact an irrigation professional to have them repaired before the water can be turned off. 

*** Please note that irrigation boxes are maintained by the homeowner and their irrigation specialist. The City cannot service them or turn them off for residents.

• Bath – An average full bathtub is 36 gallons
• Shower - Water saving shower heads use about 2 gallons of water per minute, while older ones use up to 5 gallons per minute
• Teeth brushing/shaving/hand washing – Newer bathroom faucets use about 1 gallon per minute, while older faucets can use up to 2 gallons per minute.
• Washing Dishes – Newer energy efficient dishwashers use 6 gallons or less per cycle and older models can use up to 16 gallons per cycle. If you hand wash dishes, expect to use anywhere from 9 to 27 gallons.
• Washing Clothes – A newer washer uses about 25 gallons per load and an older washer may use up to 40 gallons per load.
• Toilet – 1.6 gallons of water is used per flush if you have a newer low-flow toilet. Older toilets can use up to 4 gallons per flush.

Average irrigation water usage is dependent upon frequency, number of zones, and length of time the irrigation system runs per session. For example, if you ran your irrigation system every other day (15 days a month), on 5 zones for 10 minutes per session, the system would use an average of 15,000 gallons per month (based on 20 gallons per minute). Check out this useful chart to estimate irrigation usage for your household.

• Detect a leak
  • Accurate usage data not only allows customers and the City to detect leaks, but discover them sooner.
• Track water usage
  • Customers are able to track water usage and familiarize themselves with their households’ typical usage.
• Set up alerts
  • The portal allows customers to set up a handful of different alerts that notify them via the dashboard and text or email when water usage exceeds a set amount.
• Personalized customer service
  • The easily accessible data allows the City to monitor usage and contact customers if there is a suspected leak. It also allows the City to answer questions more efficiently by matching up data on the portal with data on water bills.

• View billing cycles
  • Customers can view the current billing cycle, the last billing cycle, and usage over the last year on the portal. 
• Updated data
  • The advanced water meters update every four hours providing accurate, up-to-date information. 
• Conserve and save
  • The accessibility and ease of use of the portal gives customers the tools they need to conserve water, keep bills low, and ultimately save money.

Visit the Customer Portal Set Up page to get started.