A leaky toilet is a costly toilet, but there likely is a cheap solution.
A running toilet can waste up to hundreds of gallons a day. WSSC said it receives hundreds of calls a day from customers with high water bills, and 70 percent of the time it’s a toilet leak.
To check your own toilet, and 15 drops of food coloring into the tank and wait 10 minutes. If the dye seeps into the bowl, the fill valve probably isn’t shutting properly or the flapper is corroded. The flapper is a part that sits on the bottom of the tank, and over time, sediment can get under it, causing leaks.
Both parts are cheap and easy fixes.
If the water is clear, contact the utility company and ask them to do another reading. Some utilities will offer a one-time adjustment to your high bill, even if it was a toilet leak.
Here are four things to know if you get a high water bill:
You can have a toilet leak without any water leaking onto the floor.
Local
Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia local news, events and information
Shut off the water connected to any toilet you never use. Just because it’s not in use doesn’t mean it won’t leak.
If you have an indoor water meter, look on the dial. If the red triangle is moving, there's a leak somewhere in your home.
If your water meter is outside, call your utility company and they'll check it for you.
