Posted on 03/30/2023 12:31:38 PM PDT by Kevin in California
Check your meter and see if its spinning.... if it is, shut the water off at the house then see if its still spinning... You could have an underground leak.
You could also have a bad meter, I believe they are wireless now. They could be estimating base off their total output from that major leak. Or maybe they gave you and your neighbors a surcharge for the big street repair...
This thread has a similar topic. https://www.reddit.com/r/SanJose/comments/yo73h1/san_jose_water_bill_over_1000/
Is your water meter not on your house/building? I’d not expect the leak in the street to affect that.
Or is the meter away from the house, and there could be an unknown leak along the entry path?
“If the prices are real, then get someone to dig you a well and use that water instead.”
I know from other folks that San Jose well water isn’t that great. It has arsenic and chromium all over the place and towards Almaden and the Guadalupe River there’s no end of mercury in the ground water.
Which makes sense since “Almaden” means a place where you can find mercury.
Dig a well, you can do it by hand. Not sure what you’re water table level is. The water bill will be gone. A pump would be a benefit for showers ect. That just involves that electrical stuff. Be careful of that electrical and water mixing.
Be blessed!
SJW’s water system operators should have real-time system data showing your 24/7 usage. Bet the spike starts when the water main construction was under way.
turn off all water in the house. Toilets, washer, dishwasher, check garden hoses, sprinkler, etc.
Go look at your meter
If it is showing water flow, you have a leak on your side of the meter.
A leak on the city side of the meter would not be measurable on your meter, so I don’t think what happened in the street can be billed to you as it didn’t pass across your meter
Due to replaced meter, the first place I’d look is on your side of the meter, where they reconnected to the drop like to your house. The connection may be faulty, however, more probably, the line was broken as they reconnected the Meyer.
Alternately, ask the city for daily readings and when the extra usage began. You may find it to be after the new meter was installed. A further hint at the cause being your connection or broken drop line (especially in an older home)
Buenos suerte.
5.56mm
Are they measuring water received or sewer return? If the latter, go pee elsewhere. Check if you are getting runoff into your sewer meter.
I think I see your problem right there.
Sure you don’t have any leaking pipes?
Check around the property for water leaks.
I had a major leak under the house I rented several years ago. Water/sewer bill jumped 10x. After it became know, it took the landlady several months go get it fixed — she had agreed to pay the excess billing.
See if you have advanced metering where they record your daily usage.
I had a kinda similar problem where my PGE Bill Spike from like $200 to $800-900. My well pump was going out and sucking major power. I replace it and showed PGE the receipt and they forgave the over usage.
I am in Michigan: The Water, Winter Wonderland. We pay over $300/quarter for “city” water, which comes from a lake.
This also includes sewer.
Someone mentioned that it cannot be done in CA without them taxing the well, or making some dort of money grab.
Sometimes it’s best to forget things that get done. The FED now wants all Wells registered. I forgot completely about the last one. Probably misremembering. Oh well.
Sit back, ponder where you live and you will have an epiphany.
Here in So-Ca Edison jacked their price up 23 %
Said it was due to the normal bogus reasons.
Compare your previous water bill usage to the new one. If it reads close to the same, then I think you have grounds for a refund. If there is a substantial difference, then shut all of the water off in the house and watch the meter to determine if you have a leak. The Utility company can help you with that if they have automatic radio metering systems installed.
Also ask if they recently raised their rates and get a copy of the rate sheet.
They may have adopted an increasing rate structure that goes up with the more water you use. They do this to encourage water conservation. Basically, it’s the principle of the more you use, the more you pay.
Yes, and a leak on THEIR side of the meter shouldn’t move YOUR meter at all.
I’d bet a “class action” lawyer would like you and your neighbors as clients...
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