Question: When are they raising the water rates with that new charge? My bills are higher already.
Answer: The Honolulu Board of Water Supply’s new rate structure and schedule takes effect July 1; there will be a monthly customer charge based on meter size, plus a quantity charge based on gallons used. As for your current higher bills, you may be using more water month to month than you realize or perhaps you have a leak.
Leaky toilets cause about 80 percent of high water bills, according to the agency, which encourages customers to check for leaks in homes and yards at least once a month, or whenever a leak is suspected.
The BWS has a video at 808ne.ws/leakdet that shows how to detect leaks in household and underground water pipes. In the video, a BWS employee also demonstrates simple repairs, such as replacing a toilet’s faulty flapper valve.
We’ll summarize some of the tips:
To determine whether there is a leak anywhere on your property:
>> First turn off all your water faucets, pipes and other water-using fixtures to ensure no water is running.
>> Then go to your water meter, which should be in or near the sidewalk area fronting your home or building.
>> Open the meter cover and check whether the dial is moving. If it is, you have a leak. Replace the cover and rotate it to secure it.
To find the source of the leak:
>> Visually inspect plumbing fixtures and exposed pipes for dripping or standing water or other evidence of leaks. Listen for the sound of running water; leaks can be detected by sound as well as by sight.
>> Check toilets, where leaks are common but not always obvious. Place a leak-detection dye tablet or a few drops of non-staining food coloring into the toilet tank after it has filled and quieted. If the dye appears in the toilet bowl within 15 to 30 minutes, there’s a leak. Replacing the flapper may do the trick.
>> Check faucets, for leaks at the faucet head and seepage at the base and connections. The fix may be as simple as replacing a worn washer. Dripping faucets are often neglected but can be costly, because a steady drip 1/32 of an inch wide wastes 25 gallons of water a day, the BWS says. The waste and cost grow exponentially with the size of the leak.
>> Check your yard, especially if you have an automatic sprinkler system or even a hose connected to the house. Wet or noticeably greener spots of grass could indicate a faulty sprinkler or a leaking underground pipe. In irrigation systems, regularly check the sprinkler timer, connections and heads for signs of a leak.
The Board of Water Supply also says “it might be a good idea” for homeowners to shut off the water valve to their property when they go away for vacation. That way, if a serious leak develops while the home is empty, “it will not flood the premises or run up a large water bill for you.”
The shut-off or property valve is usually found a few feet from the water meter on the private property. Keep the shut-off valve within easy access and in good working order at all times.
Mahalo
I want to offer my sincere mahalo to Kalei of Waimanalo for stopping to help me change a flat tire after I hit a pothole near Waimanalo town center on Tuesday evening. I was returning home late from work and still dressed in my business clothes and Kalei saw me struggling to work the jack to change the tire on a dark, narrow stretch of Kalanianaole Highway. He stopped his truck behind my car — providing protection from passing vehicles — and took over jacking up the car and changing the tire. Lucky we live Hawaii, where aloha spirit still rules in nice people like Kalei. — Don W., Kailua
Write to Kokua Line at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Honolulu 96813; call 529-4773; fax 529-4750; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.
