Tips for saving money on your Plymouth water bill

According to the EPA, “Each American uses an average of 82 gallons of water a day at home.  The average family uses more than $1,000 per year in water costs but can save more than $380 annually from retrofitting with 'Water Sense' and 'Energy-Star' certified appliances. The average family can waste 180 gallons a week or 9,400 gallons a year from household leaks. That’s the equivalent to the amount of water needed to wash more than 300 loads of laundry.”

The City of Plymouth Water Department maintains deep wells and over 80 miles of water mains to deliver water to your house.  Here’s what you can do to save money on water usage in your house:

1.  Locate your water meter on the exterior of your home. Lift the gray cover and you’ll see a metered number.  This has an electronic signal which allows the street department readers to drive by and obtain reading from the truck. Here’s an easy way to check for a leak.

There is a small red dial on the meter.  This turns when water is being run through your pipes to the street.  If you don’t think you have anything turned on, and the wheel is turning, check to see if your toilet is stuck running, or for leaks happening around your washer, sinks, water softener, outside spickets etc. Consider turning the sink on and then checking to see if the red dial is turning.  This will allow you to see how the meter works.  (Don’t forget to turn it off).  Fix any leak right away as just

2. Meters are read once a month by the Plymouth Water Department.  They drive by in a truck and use a receiver that electronically picks up a signal from your water meter.  They don’t get out of the truck.  The software will alert them if it shows a leak of any kind.  If it shows a leak, the driver will report that to the water department office, and you will find a blue tag located on your front door to let you know there may be a leak. 
3. Your sewer usage amount is calculated by your water usage, however, during the months of May, June, July, and August, (these will be in the following months bills), by ordinance residential customers receive a sewage charge based on your March water consumption, so you aren’t charged for sewage usage for watering outdoors.  So, in September through April, your sewer usage will be the same as your water usage.  To save water on outside watering, use timers or drip irrigation.
4. Use a water saving showerhead or low flow toilet, take shorter showers, run full dishwasher or clothes washer loads, turn off the water while brushing your teeth or shaving instead of running water continuously, insulate your water heater to minimize water loss, take showers instead of baths, put water aerators on faucets, replace old appliances with “Energy-Star” rated ones.
5. According to the Plymouth, Indiana Water Department: “A home filter or bottled water may not be necessary since the Plymouth Water Department has already filtered and treated the water.  As a municipal drinking water supplier, we are regulated by the Indiana Department of Environmental Management and the Environmental Protection Agency.  We are in complete compliance with the strict standards of the Safe Drinking Water Act.  Aftermarket filters and bottled water are options”.

You can review all your monthly bills online at: https://invoicecloud.com/cityofplymouthindiana.  The Water Department can email you a copy of your bill a few days before you receive a paper bill.  The phone number is 574-936-2124.  If you have any questions about your bill, you can email them to: clerktreas@plymouthin.com