Cleveland offers tips to its water customers: Stop those little leaks and save big bucks

Posted by Ellen Jan Kleinerman September 06, 2009 20:26PM

Forget for a moment what it costs to flush.One leaky toilet in a home can waste as much as 181,000 gallons a year,adding up to $556 in Cleveland or $1,126 in the outer suburbs.

And that slow drip, drip, drip from faucets? It can add up to about10,400 gallons of water wasted annually in an average household,according to the American Water Works Association. That's about $32 ayear in Cleveland and $65 in the outer suburbs.

Granted, these are worst-case scenarios, but they do happen. It's money literally trickling down the drain.

Cleveland Division of Water representatives shared money-savingtips with customers who attended community service meetings this summer.

The11 meetings were set up after Plain Dealer stories told of customers'frustrations in solving problems including spiked bills and broken andunread meters. Division of Water employees listened to the complaintsof individuals at the meetings but also used the forum to educate theirpatrons.

Customers were so receptive to the information, said waterspokesman John Goersmeyer, that more sessions may be scheduled in thecoming months.

Carol Conti-Entin of Shaker Heights, who attended a meeting held inher community, said water conservation -- for monetary andenvironmental reasons -- is a priority for her family. She was happy toget tips from the workers.

"As soon as we hear a constant trickle in the toilet, we call the plumber," Conti-Entin said.

That's just what experts recommend.

"The toilet is probably the biggest offender when it comes toleaks," said Chris Mauser, the division's meter reader supervisor.People often don't realize the amount of water moving silently througha toilet that runs constantly between flushes, he said.

Water has been a fairly cheap and abundant resource for families inNortheast Ohio, who may think nothing of letting the water run whilebrushing teeth or washing dishes.

And it remains fairly economical at under a cent a gallon for mostcustomers of the Cleveland division, which provides water to 1.4million people in five counties. Quarterly costs for a family of fourusing 26,181 gallons -- the division's average usage -- is between $81and $163. Those who qualify for the homestead program pay less thanhalf the regular rates.

The cost of water depends on where you live and how much you use.The Cleveland division has a graduated scale with four levels based onlocation and elevation. Households farthest from Lake Erie, our watersource, pay the most. Wherever you live, charges nearly double afterthe first 7,500 gallons used per quarter.

And charges have been rising.

Cleveland is in the midst of a four-year increase that will pushrates up almost 80 percent for city residents and 45 percent forsuburban customers at the top level. Prices also are being raised forfive areas that buy in bulk from Cleveland: Cleveland Heights, ChagrinFalls, Lakewood, Bedford and Geauga County.

But even with rising costs, tap water remains significantly lessexpensive than bottled products, said Water Commissioner J. ChristopherNielson. A 16-ounce bottle of water can run around $1 in storescompared with less than one-tenth of a cent if you fill that same sizebottle with tap water.

Across the nation, Americans use about 408 billion gallons of watereach day in their homes, according to the American Water WorksAssociation. Average use locally is about 73 gallons daily per person,according to the Cleveland division.

Mauser said it is worthwhile for residents to look for leaks in their homes, considering how much water can be lost.

He advises customers to start a house inspection at the insidemeter. Make sure everything is off -- washing machines, showers,faucets, outside sprinklers -- and note the numbers on the meter face.Check the numbers 30 minutes later -- with everything still off. If thenumbers have changed, you probably have a leak. Some meters have asmall triangle on the face that turns as water passes through thepipes. A moving hand when everything is off also could indicate a leak.

Residents with meters in underground vaults would need help from a division worker to make this check, Mauser said.

The first place to head if you suspect a leak is a bathroom. Check the toilet, shower heads, faucets and pipes.

Inspect out-of-the-way places such as the hot water tank or thehumidifier attached to the furnace. A little river of water in thefurnace area may signal trouble, he said.

And don't forget to check outside the house.

A broken sprinkler head on an underground system could cause asubstantial leak not readily noticed. Also check outdoor faucets usedfor watering gardens or washing cars.

"I remember searching a house one winter, finding nothing until Inoticed a damp wall," Mauser said. "I walked outside and there it was,an open spigot going full force."

In addition to plugging leaks, people can conserve water, saidAndrew Watterson, program director in Cleveland's Office ofSustainability.

Simple steps can save water, such as not leaving the faucet open asyou brush your teeth, running washing machines with full loads only,and installing low-flow shower heads and faucet aerators, he said.

Think about taking the five-minute shower challenge that could cutuse to about 35 gallons from 105 gallons used in a 15-minute shower.

And consider installing a low-flow toilet, Watterson said, which needs just 1.6 gallons per flush. Then there are dual-flush toilets, he said, that use either 1 gallon or 1.6 gallons.

He also suggested collecting rain to water plants or wash cars.

"You'd be amazed how quickly you reduce water consumption on really simple changes," Watterson said.