The Short Answer
If your water meter moves while nothing in the house is running and the sprinklers are off, you have a leak. If it stops when you close the irrigation shutoff, the leak is in the sprinkler system. If the meter is still with the system idle, the extra usage is either a leak that only runs while a zone is on, or simply more watering than you realize.
Both problems are fixable. A leak needs leak detection and repair. Overwatering needs a controller that's set up correctly. For everything involved in fixing sprinkler leaks in Romeoville, start with our main page.
Compare Before You Worry
Summer bills are naturally higher, so compare like with like:
- Same billing period last year. A July bill should be compared with last July, not with March.
- Weather. A hot, dry stretch means longer run times if your controller adjusts for weather, or you may have added watering manually.
- Changes at home. New sod or seed, a filled pool, house guests or a new appliance all add usage.
- Billing details. If sewer charges on your bill are based on metered water, an irrigation leak raises both lines.
The 30-Minute Meter Test
- Stop all indoor water use and set the sprinkler controller to off.
- Record the meter reading and watch the low-flow indicator.
- Wait 30 minutes. Any movement means water is escaping somewhere.
- Close the irrigation shutoff and test again. If movement stops, the sprinkler system is the source.
A leak that shows up in this test is on the always-pressurized side: usually a zone valve that isn't closing, a cracked mainline, or a leaking backflow preventer. These are the leaks that do the most damage to a bill because they never stop.
When the Meter Test Comes Back Clean
If the meter doesn't move with the system idle, check for leaks that only happen while zones run. A broken head, a cracked lateral line or a missing nozzle can pour water out for the full run time of that zone, every watering day. Walk each zone while it runs, as described in our guide to finding an underground sprinkler leak.
If nothing's broken, look at the controller. Common culprits are extra start times (each start time runs every zone again), a seasonal adjustment left at a high summer percentage, run times set for spray heads on rotor zones, or a program that waters every day.
Romeoville's Watering Rules Help Here
From May 10 through September 10, the Village of Romeoville allows lawn watering only on odd or even calendar days matching your address, from 6 to 9 a.m. and 7 to 10 p.m. A controller set to follow that schedule can't water every day, which also limits how much a lateral leak can waste. A smart controller with a flow sensor goes further and can alert you when a zone uses far more water than normal.
Ask the Village's utility billing office whether any leak adjustment applies to your account, and keep receipts from the repair.