Meter and Leak Information

WVWD’s automatic Leak Alert sends courtesy email and text notifications to single-family and multi-family residences, commercial, industrial, and municipal properties, and irrigation accounts. We notify the account holder of continuous water use over a 24 hour period.

Automated meters enable WVWD to provide customers timely and accurate information about water use down to the hourly level.  Customers can view their water use through our ‘”My Account” customer portal.

We send leak alerts by email and mobile phone text SMS relying on the contact information we have on file in our billing system. Please update your account contact information through our online My Account platform. If you haven’t yet registered to use My Account, sign up is simple but requires having a copy of your water bill to refer to or knowing your account number. If you don’t have a copy of your bill and don’t know your water account number, contact our Customer Service team at cservice@walnutvalleywater.gov or (909) 595-7554.

Why did I receive a leak alert?

Our leak alert is a courtesy to inform you that the water meter at your property has recorded continuous water usage for at least 24 hours.  In residential properties there are typically periods during the day or night, often when residents are sleeping, when water fixtures and irrigation systems would not be running and no water use is occurring. Therefore, it is unusual for the meter in a single-family home, small multi-family building, or property with an irrigation account to register usage continuously for consecutive 24-hour periods and this may indicate a leak or a tap, hose bib, or valve accidentally left on.

For all property types, we recommend you check and fix potential leaks or other causes of high water use. While WVWD’s courtesy alerts and My Account customer platform can help inform you if constant usage is occurring, customers are responsible for finding and addressing leaks at their property.

How was the continuous usage identified?

The Automated Meter Infrastructure (AMI) at your property provides us with information on hourly water usage. The meter readings we receive identify every hundred cubic foot of water used each hour (1 ccf is equal to 748 gallons).

If our data shows continuous water flow for 24 hours, we will notify the water account holder by email and mobile phone text, for all methods we use current contact information on file.

Does this mean I have a leak?

Continuous water usage may indicate your property has a plumbing or irrigation system leak or that a tap or hose bib was left running. WVWD cannot repair any leaks outside of our boundary, beyond the meter. That means indoor leaks and irrigation leaks need to be fixed by the account holder, property owner, or a plumber.

Register or log on to My Account to view your household’s or property’s hourly, daily, weekly and monthly water use. Sudden increases in water use could mean a plumbing or irrigation system leak has developed or some other unusual water use is occurring. If your hourly water usage never went to zero over a 24 hour period and/or had a sustained spike in usage, it could indicate you have an ongoing leak.

Do I need to contact WVWD if I receive a leak alert?

Our leak alerts are issued as a courtesy. You do not need to contact us if you receive one unless you would like assistance with WVWD’s Water Conservation Incentive Programs. Use the resources on our website and My Account  for guidance on how to identify the most common types of leaks that may be occurring around your home, multi-family property, or landscape. If you suspect you have a leak but cannot repair it, please contact a plumber or irrigation expert. Customers are responsible for repairing leaks on their property. Routine water-fixture and irrigation system maintenance and repairs can help prevent leaks and avoid wasted water and money.

How much water could I be wasting?

The United States Environmental Protection Agency estimates that ten percent of U.S. homes have leaks that waste 90 gallons or more per day. A leaking toilet can waste upward of 3,000 gallons of water in just a few days, while a faucet that drips at the rate of one drip per second can waste more than 3,000 gallons per year.  

The reporting tools available on My Account  can help you see hourly, daily, monthly and seasonal patterns in your water use, and spot unusual increases in water usage that could be attributed to a leak.

My Property Has A Leak, But I Didn’t Receive A Courtesy Alert In Any Format (Email or Text) From WVWD.

Our system will only send an email or text if there is nonstop water use for a 24 hour period and it is over the default threshold.  Some properties may experience intermittent leaks in toilets, irrigation systems, and other plumbing fixtures that last a few hours, which would not trigger a courtesy alert from WVWD.  In the customer portal, you have the ability to set your threshold to a desired amount of gallons per hour, this will control the frequency of courtesy notifications if there is nonstop water use for a 24 hour period or more.  Also, please make sure all your contact information is updated, such as mobile number and email to assure receipt of courtesy alerts.  

How can I use hourly data on My Account to identify possible leaks or high or unusual water use?

Regularly checking your daily and hourly water use can help you understand what is typical for your property and what may be unusual and reflect potential leaks, taps or equipment inadvertently left on, or other problems. To best assess your property’s water use trends, we recommend you check your daily and hourly water use at least monthly and look at data over at least a two-week period. Make a note of the days and times your property may engage in the following water use activities and consider these when you review your daily and hourly usage: irrigating landscapes, filling hot tubs and pools, indoor and outdoor cleaning, laundry, and any other water-intensive practices that may be unique to your site. Consider also if there have been any changes in occupancy in your property or periods of no or reduced occupancy. For single family and small multi-family properties, water use that never goes to zero during any hour within a 24-hour period may indicate there is a leak or the irrigation system or a tap was left running. For any property type, a sudden spike in hourly and daily use that can’t be explained by changes in occupancy, scheduled irrigation, or other specific activities may also indicate a leak or running or faulty equipment.

Repairing or replacing a leaky faucet can save hundreds of gallons per month. Faucet leaks commonly occur from worn parts or from loose water supply connections. Leaks may be obvious, such as a persistent drip, or more inconspicuous, such as a leak under the sink. While a persistent drip may be an annoyance, a hidden leak can cause water damage to walls if not identified early on. Either way, please do not ignore these leak signs!

Keep Your Faucet from Leaking While Delivering Maximum Performance

Check for leaks and provide regular maintenance, including:

• Replacing worn fittings, washers and gaskets inside the faucet. Depending on the manufacturer many types of faucets require new o-rings, cartridges, or ceramic discs.
• Tightening the water supply tubing at the fittings. Make sure the fittings are secured tightly at the wall and faucet. If this does not prevent more leaking, the water supply tubing may need to be replaced.
• Removing the aerator and soaking it in vinegar to remove mineral buildup; recommended once a year.

Free, Efficient Faucet Aerators

If you do not have aerators on your faucet, you may be using more water than you need! These small devices help make an existing faucet more efficient by adjusting the water flow. Aerators attach to the spout of the faucet and mix air and water to provide a smooth flow of water without sacrificing performance. We can provide customers with free efficient faucet aerators, available for pick-up at the WVWD administrative building. Contact llopez@walnutvalleywater.gov to request yours today.

The United States Environmental Protection Agency has partnered with manufacturers to make it easier to identify water efficient fixtures, just look for products with the WaterSense® logo to save money and water!

A water bill can double or even triple in the summer and early fall months due to overirrigating your landscape and irrigation system leaks. If you’re irrigating in the late evening or early morning, it’s difficult to observe broken irrigation pipes and common maintenance issues in your system. Broken or missing sprinkler heads, leaking valves, and cracked distribution lines contribute to excess runoff, deteriorate the health of your landscape, and can lead to an increase in your water bill!

Common Irrigation System Leaks

Broken irrigation pipes, leaking valves, and malfunctioning backflow devices can all lead to constant irrigation system leaks.

• Broken Irrigation Pipes: A cracked or broken irrigation lateral or pipe can run constantly and waste thousands of gallons of water a day. To find a broken irrigation pipe, inspect the area between your water meter and irrigation valves looking for wet or muddy areas. These areas may indicate an underground pipe leak.
• Leaking Irrigation Valves: Over time, irrigation solenoid valves can deteriorate and fail to seal properly, allowing constant water flow through your irrigation system. Check to see if valves are functioning properly by activating each of them and visually inspecting they open and close correctly.
• Malfunctioning Backflow Device: Contact a backflow device professional to inspect your system’s backflow device to ensure it is operating correctly.

Best Practices for Maintaining your Irrigation System

• Have your irrigation system checked at least seasonally by operating each zone to identify inefficiencies such as broken, misaligned, or clogged sprinkler heads and to check for leaks at the irrigation valves. An observer is the most important part of any efficient irrigation system.  Performing simple and immediate repairs are the quickest way to maintaining your system’s efficiency, preventing water waste, and prolonging the useful life of your irrigation system.
• Check your irrigation controller schedule to ensure that it is set to properly water your landscape. Consider your plant and landscape water needs when setting your irrigation schedule. Look for signs such as plant wilting or discoloration and examine soil moisture often to identify if the landscape is being watered efficiently. Consider installing a Weather Based Irrigation Controller that updates automatically based on weather conditions in your area.
• Adjust sprinklers to water the landscape, not the concrete or asphalt. Irrigation overspray is a common water waste in the landscape. A rebate for water efficient sprinklers is available here.
• Irrigation overspray is a prohibited water waste activity. Water between 5 p.m. and 8 a.m. to reduce evaporation and water loss from windy conditions.
• Check the soil moisture at various points throughout your landscape after each irrigation schedule adjustment to determine if it is being over- or under-watered and adjust the schedule accordingly.
• Connect a weather station or rain sensor to your irrigation controller to better meet the water demands of your landscape during dry spells, cloudy days, or storm events. 
• Harness the power of your irrigation controller by utilizing the percent-adjust feature which allows you to turn the entire irrigation system up or down by percentages, instead of reprogramming each individual station.
• Consider removing any unused turf and replace with climate-appropriate plants that require little or no irrigation at all! For a list of over 2,000 plants and their water use ranking (low, moderate or high) check out the California Friendly Plant List.
• Apply for the $3 per square foot Turf Replacement Program.

The average household could save more than 2,300 gallons per year by installing a water-efficient showerhead. Since these water savings will reduce demands on water heaters, households will also save energy.

Simple Fixes for a Leaky Showerhead

Shower leaks commonly occur where the showerhead attaches to the shower pipe. This type of leak may cause water to drip or spray from the back of the showerhead. Here are some simple ways to keep your showerhead from leaking, while delivering maximum performance:

• Remove the showerhead and soak it in vinegar to remove mineral buildup; recommended once a year.
• Replace the washer or “O” ring inside the showerhead to create a tighter connection.
• Apply Teflon tape or plumbers putty to the thread of the shower pipe stem before reinstalling the showerhead to prevent leaks

Claim your free Showerhead

New and improved showerheads deliver great performance at efficient flow rates of 1.5 gallons per minute or less while saving thousands of gallons of water per year (compared to 2.5 gallons per minute). To request a free showerhead, email llopez@walnutvalleywater.gov.

As a general rule, showerheads that were manufactured and installed before 1994 should be replaced. Older models could be using more than three times the amount of water. 

If you think you have a more serious leak, contact a plumbing professional. Or, if you’re a renter, report any suspected leaks to your landlord or property manager.

The Environmental Protection Agency has partnered with manufacturers to make it easier to identify water efficient fixtures, just look for products with the WaterSense® logo to save money and water!

Water use is measured by a water meter which is usually located on the sidewalk in front of your home.

New automated water meters are now in place for all WVWD customers. This new technology transmits hourly water use data to our billing system by wireless network. All customers now have easy online access to bill and water use information with our customer website, My Account. 

Registered My Account users can also download detailed daily and monthly water use reports. This accurate and frequent water usage information allows you to monitor use and identify possible leaks faster than was possible with the previously used manually-read meters by reviewing your hourly water usage.

In order to prevent personal injury and damage to WVWD equipment, water meters should only be accessed by skilled WVWD staff.

Hidden Plumbing Leaks

There are many causes for hidden plumbing leaks. If you can’t see dripping or a constant stream coming from a particular fixture, a good place to start looking is your toilets, the most common household leak.

When do I need to call a plumber?

• When making repairs to leaks between the meter and the home or in the water supply line
• If you suspect leaking on a large appliance such as the water heater or dishwasher
• If you think you might have a blind leak and need help addressing it immediately, call a plumber right away.