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Customer Service

Reporting Possible Leaks

If you see a water leak that might be coming from the water distribution system, please call CWS and report the leak to a service representative. If the problem is somewhere away from your home or business, please give us a street address or directions to the location of the leak. If you report a leak after hours, on weekends or holidays, an answering machine will take your call. The answering machine is programmed to alert an on-duty service representative if you dial the number "118" when the recorded message asks you to. Once you have dialed "118", your message is automatically relayed to our on-duty service person who will then return your call to verify the information received. If you have not heard from our service person within 15 minutes, please call the office again and repeat the message.

High water Usage Notification

After the water meters have been read each month, an account representative analyzes the readings to check for excessive or unusual amounts of water usage. If water consumption is noticeably higher than in previous months, a CWS representative will phone or mail a notice to see if you are aware of the extra water being used. We understand that water consumption varies throughout the year and we take that into consideration, but in many cases, this monthly usage analysis is our first step in finding household plumbing leaks that are not yet visible to the customer.

Questionable Water bills

A higher than normal water bill may indicate a water leak on your side of the meter. Some leaks do not become visible until the line has completely blown out. If your home has a significant water leak, your water meter can confirm the problem. Here's how you use your water meter to check for leaks. (Lid key required to open meter boxes can be purchased from CWS for $15.00 each.)

  1. Turn all water off in your home.
  2. Locate your water meter, then open the meter box
  3. Look for the small triangle on the meter face.
  4. If the triangle is not moving, there are no significant leaks at that time, if the triangle is turning... you have a leak.

Some of the most frequent water-loss areas of the home are:

  • Hot water heaters... a leak here can also increase electric and/or propane costs.
  • Underground lines... those between your home and the meter.
  • Toilet tanks or faulty tank apparatus... even small leaks lead to increased costs.
  • Dripping faucet... again, though small in appearance, they lost a lot of water.

If you have performed the described procedure and still remain unsure of your water consumption rate, please contact our office.

Preventing Water Damage

In extremely cold conditions, water meters can freeze. Where possible, place wind barriers over and around your meters to reduce their exposure to cold wind. PACKING AROUND THE METERS DOES NOT PREVENT FREEZING! In fact, packing can actually cause meters to burst more quickly. If cold conditions cause your water meter to freeze and burst, Community Water System will replace the meter at no cost to you. However, if you break or damage the meter attempting to thaw it out, you will be held responsible for the cost of its replacement.