Water Bill Checklist

Our Water Checklist is divided into 5 Categories to help you investigate your usage. 

  1. Household Changes: Even small changes at home can increase water use.
  2. Leaks & Maintenance: Silent leaks or consistent drips from toilets, taps, or fixtures can add up. See our quick leak tests below.
  3. Daily Habits & Appliance Use: Compare your bill to previous bills, do you typically use more in the summer? Click here for water conservation tips. 
  4. Billing & Support:  Entegrus bills on behalf of the Municipality of Chatham-Kent, City of St. Thomas & the Village of Newbury. For information on water rates, please visit the respective website.
  5. Catastrophic Events: Catastrophic events such as a flood can result in a high water bill. Contact customer service if you experience a catastrophic event. St. Thomas customers: Learn about the St. Thomas Catastrophic Water Charge Assistance Program.

Suspect a leak? Try these tests:

Toilet Dye Test

  • Add a few drops of food colouring to your toilet tank
  • Wait 30 minutes without flushing
  • If the colour appears in the bowl, your flapper valve may be leaking

Overnight Meter Reading Test

  • Turn off all water use at night
  • Record your meter reading
  • Check it again in the morning. If the reading changed, you may have a hidden leak. 
    • Additionally, check your Leak Indicator. If the leak indicator arrow is spinning, but you’re not using water, you likely have a leak. 

Water Bill Checklist 

View as PDF

Household Changes

More people in the home? (e.g. visitors, kids home from school, new family addition)
Spending more time at home? (working from home, etc.)
New bathroom, laundry area, or water-using fixture?
New appliance or fixture (dishwasher, water softener, ice maker)?
Is the property occupied or vacant?

Leaks & Maintenance

Toilet Dye Test
Overnight Meter Reading Test
Faucets/showerheads dripping?
Water softener cycling too often?
Outdoor taps or hoses dripping?
Do you have a water back-up sump pump?

Daily Habits & Appliance Use

Filling pools or hot tubs
Sprinklers or garden watering regularly? Hose or tap running unintendedly?
Running half loads of laundry or dishes
Washing dishes by hand with water running

Billing and Support Questions

Have you compared this bill to the same time last year? Do you use more in the summer?
Did you recently receive an estimated bill?
Water meters are read monthly, but if a reading isn’t available, such as when a repair or appointment is needed, your bill may be estimated based on past usage.
Meter concerns?

Catastrophic Events

Catastrophic event cause water charges?