Can a toilet cause a high water bill?

Author: Jerrell Fritsch  |  Last update: Friday, July 4, 2025

The most common cause for a high water bill is running water from your toilet. A continuously running toilet can waste up to 200 gallons a day or more depending on the volume flow down the drain. This can cause a terrible increase to a family's typical water use, so fix toilet leaks as soon as possible.

Does flushing the toilet make your water bill high?

A single flush costs just a fraction of a cent, so unless you're someone that makes a habit out of flushing the toilet on repeat, then there won't be much of an impact on your water bill. However, if there's an ongoing leak then you'll want to get it fixed right away, as you could end up footing an expensive bill!

How much will running toilet increase water bill?

Left unnoticed, a running toilet could waste over 6,000 gallons per month. Depending on the rate you pay for water and sewer, this could cost as much as $70 per month!

Why is my water bill so high with no leaks?

If your water usage is unchanged, your city hasn't implemented a rate hike, and you have a high water bill with no visible leaks, the problem may be that you have an issue with your water meter. This isn't a common problem, but it's also not unheard of. To test your water meter, turn off your water.

Do toilets waste a lot of water?

Toilets are by far the main source of water use in the home, accounting for nearly 30 percent of an average home's indoor water consumption. Older, inefficient toilets that use as much as 6 gallons per flush also happen to be a major source of wasted water in many homes.

Plumbing Pro Tip: High water bill? Could be a leaking toilet - here's how to test for a leak!

Does turning off the toilet water save money?

While everyone knows how annoying it can be to have your toilet constantly run, few people are aware that it may actually be costing them a great deal of money. Toilets that never stop running can lead to much higher water bills, which means this is a situation that you need to correct as soon as possible.

What uses the most water in a house?

On average, approximately 70 percent of that water is used indoors, with the bathroom being the largest consumer (a toilet alone can use 27 percent!).

Will my water bill be high if my toilet keeps running?

A continuously running toilet can waste up to 200 gallons a day or more depending on the volume flow down the drain. This can cause a terrible increase to a family's typical water use, so fix toilet leaks as soon as possible. Some leaks are easy to find, such as a dripping faucet or running toilet.

Why is my water bill $400?

An unusually high water bill is most often caused by a leak or change in water use. Some common causes of high water bills include: A leaking toilet, or a toilet that continues to run after being flushed, most common. A dripping faucet; a faucet drip can waster 20 gallons or more of water a day.

How do I know if I have a water leak underground?

Soggy spots on the lawn or damp patches in your basement that weren't previously present. Water bubbling up through the ground or pooling around the foundation of your home. Cracked pavement, bulges on walkways or driveways. Faint hissing or bubbling sounds in the walls.

Can a leaking toilet double your water bill?

A leaky toilet can be a massive contributor to a high water bill. We have seen continuously running toilets use 20,000 to 30,000 gallons of water in a month. A dripping leak consumes 15 gallons per day and 450 gallons per month. A 1/32 inch leak consumes 264 gallons per day and 7,920 gallons per month.

How to test for a toilet leak?

How to Detect a Leaky Toilet
  1. Put 10-15 drops of food coloring or a dye tablet in the toilet tank.
  2. Wait 30 minutes without flushing.
  3. After 30 minutes, if the water in the bowl turns color, your toilet tank is leaking.
  4. Replace the parts inside your toilet tank.

How can I save money on toilet water?

choosing a water-saving, low-flush or dual-flush version when buying a new toilet - low flush toilets use six litres of water per flush compared to nine or more litres for other toilets. fitting a variable flushing device to existing higher flush toilets - this will give you a choice of flush volumes to help save water.

Why did the water rise when I flushed the toilet?

An overflowing toilet is caused by one of three things: a clogged or blocked drain that doesn't allow for a proper flush, an improperly adjusted float that allows the tank to overfill or a blocked vent pipe that replaces the air in the pipe after each flush.

Is the landlord responsible for a high water bill due to running a toilet?

Landlords have a responsibility to keep renters' toilets in good working order. Faulty parts can run up a tenant's water bill in no time, or dramatically increase expenses on a rental if water is included. Often, toilets leak because of a worn out flapper (sometimes called a “valve seal”).

How much money does it cost to flush a toilet?

Toilets are flushed multiple times a day in households everywhere but most homeowners are not aware of how much each flush costs. After all, every flush involves the use of water and as homeowners know, it costs to use water. So, what is the cost of a toilet flush? –The average cost in the USA is 1.3 cents per flush.

What would cause a spike in water usage?

Typically water consumption is higher during the summer due to watering of lawns, pools, and gardening. Did you have house guests, water your lawn more than usual, or do anything else out of the ordinary? If so, this may account for an increase in your water bill.

What is a reasonable monthly water bill?

Average water bill cost by state

The average monthly water bill varies significantly by state. Costs are lowest in Vermont, Wisconsin, and North Carolina at $18 to $20 per month. In comparison, California and West Virginia have the highest average bills in the country at $77 and $91 per month.

How much water does a constantly running toilet use?

For example, depending on its size, a continuously running toilet can waste between 1,000 and 4,000 gallons of water per day and potentially increase your bill by hundreds and even thousands of dollars. A single faucet that drips just once every second wastes 8.6 gallons per day, or almost 800 gallons per quarter.

Why is my water sewage bill so high?

The most common source of abnormally high water/sewer bills is leaky plumbing inside the property. More often than not, the source of that leak is a toilet. Did you know that a toilet constantly leaking at only ¼ gallon per minute can cost you as much as $350 over a 3-month billing cycle?

Why is my water meter reading high but no leak?

Sometimes, a high water bill with no visible leak points to other issues, like a faulty water meter or billing errors.

Does flushing the toilet use a lot of water?

The current federal standard for toilets is 1.6 gallons per flush. This federal standard passed in 1992, so if your toilet was installed before 1992, it most likely uses 3.5 GPF to 7 GPF. In 2016, only 37 % of homes met the efficiency criteria for toilets but the toilet flushing frequency has remained the same.

What wastes the most water in a household?

The #1 water waster in your home is the toilet.

A leaking toilet can waste 15,000 gallons of water a month. To check if your toilet has a leak, place several drops of food coloring in the toilet tank. If the color seeps into the toilet bowl within 30 minutes without flushing, your toilet has a leak.

How much water is used in a 10 minute shower?

A standard showerhead flows at a rate of 2.5 gallons per minute . This means that a ten-minute shower only uses 25 gallons of water. A full bath can use up to 50 gallons of water .

Previous article
Is it good to sauna right before bed?
Next article
Will a heat gun help paint dry?