• Make sure no water is being used inside or outside of your house.
• Locate your water meter and check the leak indicator to see if it is moving.  If leak indicator is moving when no water is being used, there is water moving through the meter meaning there is a leak somewhere.
• Or, you can also take a meter reading and wait 1 or 2 hours and take another meter reading (make sure no water is used during this time).

Check the Pressure Relief Valve on the hot water tank. Sometimes these valves are plumbed directly into a drain and may be leaking without your knowledge. If you can't remove the drain pipe to check for a leak listen for a hissing sound, it may be leaking.

Check the toilet for leaks by removing the top off the tank and listening very closely. If you hear any hissing at all, try to locate where it is coming from. If you locate the area where the leak is coming from, assess it and determine if you can fix it. If you can't, then call a plumber.

• If nothing is noticeable, add some food coloring and put a couple of drops in the tank (not the bowl). Wait several minutes and if you have coloring in the bowl, you have a leak in the flapper at the bottom of the tank that is allowing water to seep through. At this point you can assess if you want to do the repair yourself, or call a plumber.
• If you have more toilets, go ahead and repeat the process with each toilet to make sure you don't have more than one problem.

• If you know you have a shut-off valve by the house, shut it off temporarily and check the meter by removing the lid and watching the dial on top of the meter.
• If the meter is still turning, then the leak is between the meter and the house. That is, unless you have a leaking valve, and this very common with these older bronze gate valves. Then, your leak may also be inside the house.
• At this point, walk the area between the meter and the shut-off valve. Look for signs of a leak such as: soft muddy areas, grass that is greener than the rest or growing much faster than other areas. If you see such an obvious sign, call the plumber or assess if you can make a repair yourself. If you have the valve shut off at the house and the meter has stopped moving, then the leak is somewhere in the house. Try some other techniques to try to locate the problem.

Check the garden. Look at hoses, taps, and drip irrigation systems.

Check the shower head for leaks. It should be a fairly straightforward home repair if this is a source of leaking.

If you have a swimming pool, it is important to check to see if it has any leaks.


LEAK ADJUSTMENT POLICY

PLEASE NOTE: Adjustments are made to the sewer portion of bills only.  If you have a leak, present a copy of the plumbing repair receipt (or other acceptable document) showing date and type of repair.  An adjustment will be considered based on that information. The amount of adjustment is determined by the average one year usage prior to the leak.  Customers are allowed one adjustment per year, but adjustments can be granted on two bills if the leak occurred between billing periods.  

Please send plumbers invoice or copies of repair receipts to info@carolinabeach.org for adjustment review.

Pool Credit Adjustment: The Town of Carolina beach will also consider a sewer credit based on the meter water usage used to fill a newly constructed pool or when refilling a pool that has been completely drained for a repair. Credit is not available for filling a pool for routine maintenance. Credit is also not provided to fill a kiddie pool, splasher pools, or hot tubs. Documentation from the company performing the work must be included. Customers must also provide the dimensions of the pool, the volume that was used to fill the pool, and the dates that the pool was filled. If approved, the adjustment to the account will be based on the average usage for the prior twelve billing cycles and the customer may only receive one pool credit per twelve-month period. Request for pool credit must be submitted within 90 days of the date the pool was filled.

POOL CREDIT FORM