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Plumbing problem
High water bill but no visible leak
The short answer
EPA’s WaterSense program gives two free tests for a leak you cannot see. Read the water meter before and after a two-hour stretch with no water in use; if it changes at all, there is probably a leak. And put a few drops of food coloring in each toilet tank; color in the bowl after 10 minutes means that toilet leaks (EPA WaterSense). EPA says household leaks can waste 180 gallons a week in an average family (EPA).
What people usually report
A bill that is noticeably higher than the same month last year with no change in the household, sometimes with no sound of running water and nothing wet anywhere. Some notice the jump after a vacation, after guests, or at the start of watering season.
What official sources say the causes can include
- A silent toilet leak. EPA says toilets are often the culprit in household leaks and most toilet leaks come from old or worn flappers (U.S. EPA WaterSense). A worn flapper can silently leak thousands of gallons a year (U.S. EPA WaterSense).
- Drips that add up. A faucet dripping once per second can waste more than 3,000 gallons a year, and a showerhead leaking 10 drips a minute more than 500 gallons (U.S. EPA WaterSense).
- A leak on the property you cannot see. Utilities list an on-site leak among the causes of low pressure (City of Bremerton, WA, Public Works), and the pipes from the meter into the house are the owner’s (Cobb County Water System, GA). Under a slab or in a yard, it may show up only on the bill.
- More water use than you think. EPA says the average American family uses more than 300 gallons a day at home, about 70 percent indoors, and that outdoor use is 30 percent nationally but can be much higher in drier areas (U.S. EPA WaterSense).
How to find out
- The two-hour meter test. Turn off every faucet and appliance, read the meter, wait two hours with no water used, and read it again. Any change means a probable leak (U.S. EPA WaterSense).
- The toilet dye test. A few drops of food coloring in each tank, 10 minutes, no flushing (U.S. EPA WaterSense). See toilet keeps running for what to do if one fails.
- Check the outside. Hose bibs, irrigation, and any wet or unusually green patch in the yard.
- Call the utility. Ask for the reading history. If the meter test shows water moving and nothing inside is leaking, the leak may be underground or under the slab.
A leak under the foundation is priced on our slab leak repair cost page. If pressure has also dropped, see low water pressure.
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Try this while you wait: screening tools
A home kit or gauge can tell you whether something is worth a closer look. It is a screening tool only. It does not replace a test from a state-certified laboratory or an inspection by a licensed plumber.
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Local help
Who to contact
If you are on a public water system, your water utility is the first call for anything that affects the water itself. Its phone number is on your bill and in its annual water quality report.
For work on the pipes and fixtures inside your home, hire a licensed plumber and confirm the license before work starts. Our guide to choosing a plumber covers what to ask. License lookups for the areas our city pages cover:
- FL: Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR)
- IA: Iowa Plumbing and Mechanical Systems Board (PMSB), administered by Iowa DIAL
- MO: Kansas City, MO City Planning & Development (plumbing license, city-issued)
- NE: City of Omaha Building and Development Division (plumbing license, city-issued; Nebraska has no statewide plumbing board)
- NV: Nevada State Contractors Board (NSCB), Classification C (plumbing)
- OK: Oklahoma Construction Industries Board (CIB)
- TX: Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners (TSBPE)
Elsewhere, search your state’s plumbing or contractor licensing board. Some cities issue plumbing licenses themselves.
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Common questions
High water bill questions
Why is my water bill high with no leaks?
A leak you cannot see is the first thing to rule out. EPA WaterSense says to read the water meter before and after a two-hour period when no water is used; if it changes at all, you probably have a leak. EPA also says toilets are often the culprit in household leaks, and its food-coloring test finds a toilet leak in 10 minutes. If both tests come back clean, compare the bill with past bills and ask the utility about the reading.
What is the most common reason for a high water bill in a house?
EPA WaterSense says household leaks can waste 180 gallons a week in an average family, that toilets are often the culprit, and that most toilet leaks come from old or worn-out flappers. Outdoor watering is the other big variable: EPA says outdoor use is about 30 percent of household use nationally and can be much higher in drier areas.
Can I dispute a high water bill?
Your water utility’s billing office is where to start. Bring the meter readings from EPA’s two-hour test and the result of a toilet dye test, so you can show whether water is moving through the meter when nothing is on. Utilities set their own adjustment policies for leaks and misreads.
Sources and limits
- U.S. EPA WaterSense, Fix a Leak Week. Checked 2026-10-05.
- U.S. EPA WaterSense, Statistics and Facts. Checked 2026-10-05.
- U.S. EPA WaterSense, How We Use Water. Checked 2026-10-05.
- U.S. EPA WaterSense, Residential Toilets. Checked 2026-10-05.
- City of Bremerton, WA, Public Works, Water Pressure. Checked 2026-10-05.
- Cobb County Water System, GA, Home Water Basics: Pipes, Pressure & Protection. Checked 2026-10-05.
This page summarizes guidance published by the agencies and organizations listed above. It is general information, not a diagnosis of your home or your water. Guidance can change, so check the linked source, your water utility, or your local health department before acting on it. PlumbingRepairCost is not affiliated with any agency named here. Spotted an error? Email hello@plumbingrepaircost.com and we will check it against the source.