High Water Usage Checklist

***The average household consumes 18m³ of water per month.

• Has your garden or lawn been watered more than usual? Were your plants/gardens accidentally watered throughout the night?
• Were younger family members playing with the water hose outside or the toilet inside without your knowledge?
• Did someone leave a tap open accidentally, either indoors or outdoors?
• Check for leaks by recording your meter reading at night and again in the morning before any water is used in the household. This will help identify if you have a leak.
• Are your water taps stiff to use? Is it difficult to close them? (Taps that do not close properly can drip, wasting several cubic meters of water each month.)   
• Is your toilet operating properly? Does your toilet get stuck in the ‘flush’ mode on occasion? 
• Do you have a silent leak in your toilet? (To check, put a few drops of food colouring in the water tank. If after a few hours, the water in the toilet bowl turns the same colour, your toilet is leaking and requires repairs.)
• Does your water softener have too much/too little salt in it? Is your water softener plugged in? (Some water softeners will run constantly if the incorrect amount of salt is used or if the softener is unplugged as it is recharging.)
• Is your water softener leaking? (You may see fine salt crystals along joint lines or on the floor around the water softener.)
• Is your humidifier in proper working order? (There may be dried water stains/rust spots around the humidifier which may indicate it is leaking.)
• Was a new appliance installed recently that may use water? (dishwasher, ice-maker fridge, washer, water softener, hot tub, new toilet, new taps, hot water heater, etc.)
  
  If you have installed a new appliance: 
• Does this appliance use more water than the previous appliance?   
• Was the appliance installed correctly?
• Can you hear water running through this appliance? (Sound may indicate a leak)
• Has there been a change in water usage with some members of the household? (e.g., is someone taking daily baths instead of daily showers?)