NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — A rate hike, dripping faucets and busted pipes have created a perfect storm for higher water bills across Nashville.
Metro Water Services says if your water bill jumped this February, you're not alone.
The utility implements a 3% water and sewer rate increase every January. But the recent ice storm may have added to costs in other ways.
Sonia Allman with Metro Water Services says dripping pipes during the recent ice storm added only a small amount — around $1.75 per day per faucet. On average, a steady drip uses about 30 gallons of water over a 24-hour period.
If you see a spike in your bill, graphs Metro Water Services shared can help you figure out what happened. If the bill shows similar usage as last January, it's likely the rate hike that's to blame. If usage went up a bit, it's likely dripping faucets. And if usage went way up, it's likely a leak or break.
"Looking at that graph is really the best way to see how your usage changed," Allman said.
To check for leaks or a burst pipe, Allman says to turn off all water in your house and look for puddles and listen for water running inside walls, under sinks, or near appliances.
"If you're the only one in your neighborhood that's having low water pressure or water issues, then you likely have a burst pipe that froze, thawed, and has now broken. We can do a leak investigation if you call Metro Water Services," Allman said.
Metro Water Services says if you've had a big leak that's caused an exceptionally higher water bill — not just a few dollars — don't stress, especially if you have other storm damage you have to pay for.
"In this instance because there are so many people affected we are not charging late fees and we are not disconnecting for non payment," Allman said.
If it turns out you do have a leak that led to that higher bill, after you fix it, you can call to have a leak adjustment applied to your bill, significantly lowering what you owe.
Metro Water Services says legislation is being prepared to help customers affected by the ice storm, and Allman says that could come within the next month.
Have you noticed a spike in your water bill after the ice storm? Share your experience and get tips on how to check for leaks by watching our full report. Contact reporter Kim Rafferty at kim.rafferty@NewsChannel5.com with your water bill concerns or storm damage stories.
In this article, we used artificial intelligence to help us convert a video news report originally written by Kim Rafferty. When using this tool, both Kim and the NewsChannel 5 editorial team verified all the facts in the article to make sure it is fair and accurate before we published it. We care about your trust in us and where you get your news, and using this tool allows us to convert our news coverage into different formats so we can quickly reach you where you like to consume information. It also lets our journalists spend more time looking into your story ideas, listening to you and digging into the stories that matter.
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