Before you blame the bill
A bill can rise for ordinary reasons. Guests, a new pool fill, irrigation running longer in summer or a longer billing period all push usage up. A run of hot days in the Fresno area makes landscapes drink more, and a July high near 98 degrees is typical for the area.
If none of those fit, treat the bill as a clue. A slow leak wastes water day and night. Even a thin stream adds up over a month, and you pay for every gallon that passes the meter.
Common sourcesWhere hidden leaks usually hide
The toilet flapper
A worn flapper lets water trickle from the tank into the bowl. It is silent, and it is the most common hidden leak.
Irrigation lines
Sprinkler heads, valves and buried lines leak out of sight. A soggy patch or a patch of greener grass is a hint.
The service line
The pipe between the meter and the house can crack. A wet spot, a drop in pressure or the sound of running water point to it.
Under slab and inside walls
Pipes in a concrete slab or a wall leak where nobody looks. See the slab leak repair page for the signs.
Water heater and fittings
A weeping relief valve or a corroded fitting near the heater can drip into a drain pan or onto the floor.
Step by step: check the meter
Stop all use
Turn off every faucet, appliance, ice maker and sprinkler. Make sure nobody flushes during the test.
Find the meter
It sits in a box near the street, often under a lid. Lift the lid with a screwdriver and watch for insects.
Read the dial
Look for the small low-flow indicator, often a triangle or a small wheel. If it spins with everything off, water is moving.
Wait and compare
Write down the reading, wait 30 minutes without using water and read it again. Any change means a leak.
Meters differ in design, so if your dial looks different, a photo and a call to the utility gets you a clear explanation. The test works on any meter that shows motion or a changing digit.
The toilet dye test
Remove the tank lid and drop in about ten drops of food coloring. Do not flush. Wait 15 minutes and look in the bowl. Color in the bowl means the flapper is leaking and water is draining into the bowl all day.
A flapper is a low-cost part, and replacing it is a short job. If the chain, the fill valve or the overflow tube is the issue, the same visit covers it. Our toilet repair page lists the parts.
Narrowing it down further
- Close the main shutoff valve at the house and check the meter. If the meter still moves, the leak is between the meter and the house.
- If the meter stops, the leak is inside the house. Open the main valve and shut each fixture's stop valve one at a time.
- Walk the yard for wet spots, sunken patches or new cracks in the concrete.
- Listen at the water heater, behind walls and near the kitchen with the house quiet.
- Touch a cold floor. A warm spot over a slab can mean a hot line leak.
| Result | What it suggests | Who to call |
|---|---|---|
| Dye shows in the bowl | Flapper leak | Plumber or a handy owner |
| Meter moves, main valve closed | Leak in the service line | Plumber for water line repair |
| Meter stops with main closed | Leak inside the house | Plumber for leak detection |
| Warm floor spot | Hot line leak under slab | Plumber right away |
| Wet patch in the yard | Irrigation or service line | Plumber or irrigation tech |
Reading your Sanger water use
Water in Sanger comes from city wells, according to the city's 2024 water quality report, which also lists hardness averaging 145.5 ppm. Hard water leaves scale on valves, flappers and fill assemblies, and scale keeps seals from closing, which is one reason toilets and faucets start to leak in an older home.
More than half of Sanger's housing is over 30 years old, according to the city's housing element, so original fixtures and valves are common. We do not know your billing details, so check the days and usage shown on your own statement, and call the utility if the numbers look wrong. For help in nearby towns, see Parlier or Reedley.
Meter still moving?
Call the 24/7 line and a dispatcher will arrange leak detection.
Small fixes that lower the bill
Once you find the source, fix it the same week. A worn flapper, a dripping faucet or a leaking angle stop wastes water every hour. Replace rubber parts at the first sign of wear, because hard water and chlorine age rubber over time.
Check outdoor hose bibs and irrigation controllers each season. A stuck sprinkler valve can run for hours without anyone noticing. Setting a reminder to read the meter once a month builds a baseline, so a change stands out quickly.
What a plumber does when you cannot find it
A plumber uses pressure tests, acoustic listening gear and thermal imaging to find the leak without cutting into walls or floors. The goal is a precise spot, so any repair opens as little as possible.
Once the leak is found, you get a clear price before work starts. Repairs range from a new fitting to a reroute, and if the pipes are failing widely the plumber may suggest repiping. Not every leak needs that much.
FAQHigh water bill questions
It varies with the leak. A running toilet can waste many gallons a day, and some leaks are silent, so the dye test is worth doing.
Usually yes, once the leak stops. Compare the next bill with your normal usage and ask the utility about any adjustment policy.
A licensed plumber with leak detection gear can find it. Call the 24/7 line and a dispatcher schedules a visit.
Not always. An ice maker, a sprinkler timer or a softener can move the meter. Turn those off and test again before you decide.