How to Check for High Water Usage or a Possible Compromise

1. Check Your Water Meter
   • Locate and open your meter box.
   • Compare the current meter reading to your last utility bill.
     • Subtract the read appearing on your last statement from current read to get usage.
       • Example: If the meter reading is 23920, it will appear as 239 on the statement. Read the number in the hundreds place and bill in the thousands to determine current usage. To calculate usage, subtract the previous reading from the current reading. For example, if the current reading is 239 and the previous reading was 228, the total usage would be 1,100 gallons.
   • Unexpectedly high usage may indicate a plumbing issue or water line compromise.
2. Check the Flow Indicator
   • Turn off all water inside and outside the home.
   • Watch the meter’s flow indicator (dial, triangle, or digital flow rate).
     • Digital flow rate is light activated, so take a flashlight and shine it on your meter. If your meter reads anything besides the current read and 0.00, that means water is going through the meter.
   • If it is moving or showing flow, water is still passing through the meter.
3. Isolate the Water Usage
   • Turn off the home’s main shut-off valve.
   • Check the meter again:
     • Indicator stops → The issue is likely inside the home.
     • Indicator continues moving → The issue may be between the meter and the home (possible line compromise or backflow issue).
4. Common Indoor Causes
   • Running toilets or faulty flappers
   • Dripping faucets
   • Water heaters
   • Washing machines or refrigerator supply lines
   • Water softeners stuck in regeneration mode
5. Toilet Dye Test
   • Add food coloring to the toilet tank.
   • Do not flush for 15–30 minutes.
   • If color appears in the bowl, the toilet may be allowing water to pass continuously.
6. Check Outdoor Water Use
   • Irrigation systems and sprinkler heads (watering restrictions can be found here at this link: Watering Restrictions)
     • How many days a week is irrigation running? 
     • How many minutes per zone?
     • What is the output per head per zone?
     • How many zones in your yard? 
     • Are any sprinkler heads trickling / broken or risers (this may occur even if not during set watering times)?
     • Do you have a Rain Bird (autotimer)?
     • Power on at the Timer or at the Power Source 
       • Timers may offset and come on at random hours or surges in power can offset them; turn off at the source to fully reset
     • Other common issues
       • Rotors not rotating  
       • Misting instead of spraying 
       • Spray patterns blocked by plant material 
       • Clogged nozzles
   • Calculate your usage (this is approximate):
     • 12 to 17 gallons per minute per zone
     • Zones x minutes = Total watering time 
     • Watering Time x 17 gallons per minute = Usage with each watering         
   • Pool auto-fill systems
   • Outdoor hose bibs
   • Wet spots or depressions in the yard
7. Important Water Usage Facts
   • Running toilets and irrigation systems are common causes of high bills.
   • Even small drips can waste hundreds of gallons each month.
8. Need Assistance?
   • Contact Manatee County Utilities for additional assistance.

If you do find a compromise and make the repairs, read the below:

Water/Wastewater Adjustment Request

If you have experienced an issue on your property and it has impacted your utility bill, please use the following information and complete the Water/Wastewater Adjustment Request Form on your Customer Self-Service Portal. Your account will be reviewed to see if it qualifies for a possible adjustment to your bill. A property may only receive one pool fill adjustment and one repair adjustment per calendar year. If you have already received the allotted adjustment, your request will not be approved.

• Adjustment requests must be received by the County no later than (6) months from the billing date.
• Complete and submit the Water/Wastewater Adjustment Request Form fully after repairs have been completed.
• Attach the following information when submitting your request to document your repair activities and your costs:
  • Completed Water/Wastewater Adjustment Request Form, including a brief description and date of the repairs and one of the following:
    • A copy of the replacement / material receipt, if repaired yourself
    • A repair bill if someone else repaired it

• Upload required documents and receipts through your Customer Self-Service Portal. Requests > Adjustments > General Adjustment

 Review and Processing

• When Manatee County Utilities Department receives all the required information, we will review your account to determine the consumption average for the past 12 months to determine if your account is eligible for an adjustment.
• If your account does not meet the required average consumption history, it may delay our response to your request until such time that your account has accumulated a “normal use” history (based on a three-month average).
• Customers are not eligible for any type of water adjustment if their consumption remains in the lowest tiered rate.
• No adjustments will be made for new sod installation, landscape irrigation, pressure washing, reclaimed usage, or accidental hose/water left on. Adjustments must be for repairs, and documents must be provided.
• Customers should continue to pay their monthly billing statements. If an adjustment is provided, credits will be placed on the customer’s account to be applied towards future billing. Customers should continue making good faith payments toward their monthly billing statements, ideally in an amount consistent with their current average bill. If an adjustment is approved, credits will be applied to the customer’s account and reflected on future billing statements.
• Any remaining balance after the adjustment process must be paid within 14 days, or the customer must make payment arrangements for the remaining amount.
  

Required Documentation

Attach a copy of the repair invoice or part receipts. Adjustment requests submitted without required documentation will not be processed.