Why is my Metro Nashville water bill so high?
Metro Water Services said it’s not from dripping your faucet.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - Metro Water Services said they are getting more calls about higher water bills this month, and leaks from the winter storm in January could be to blame.
Some people, like Kendall Petersen in East Nashville, said their water bill was double what it normally is. Petersen’s water bill jumped up about $80 last month, from $90 to $170.
“Like $75 to $100 is usually high for us,” she said.
She, like many others, thought dripping her faucets to prevent freezing pipes in January was to blame for the increase.
WSMV4 asked Metro Water Services if that could cause a bill that’s double or triple the regular amount.
“Letting your faucet drip or even run approximately the size of a pencil lead, as recommended during cold weather, will not double or triple your water bill,” Sonia Allman with Metro Water Services said. “Dripping those faucets for those few days that we had the winter weather is not a huge cost.”
One drip per second from a faucet would only cost around $3.45 a month, according to the EPA.
Allman said to consider the 3% rate increase in water and sewer, which began Jan. 1, 2024, for Metro Water customers.
“Every year, we have a rate increase that goes into effect on Jan. 1 that was built into our rate restructuring that we did five years ago,” she said.
If the bill is higher than that, Allman said you very likely have a leak. The two most common leaks are from faucets and toilets. The winter storm in January could have caused leaks in places many people don’t know about.
“In pipes, sometimes it is a big burst. Sometimes it’s just a small hole, or it’s loosened or damage to the seal, and you have a drip,” Allman said, “and many people don’t realize that until they get a water bill.”
Even a small leak can waste up to 250 gallons a day, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
That’s where the bar graph on the side of the Metro water bill comes in handy, Allman said. It shows water use month-to-month and year-to-year.
Click here to see a sample bill from Metro Water.
If you have a leak and get it repaired, you could receive a credit from Metro Water. Contact customer service to do that.
Copyright 2024 WSMV. All rights reserved.
