Frequently Asked Questions

If you have an item you would like to discuss with the City Council, you have two options.  You may contact City Hall within one week of the scheduled meeting to be added to the agenda or simply attend the meeting to converse with the Council during the open forum portion of the meeting.  Please note for items that require a Council approval will need to be added to the agenda in order for a vote to transact.  Items not on the agenda won't be eligible to be voted on.

Do You Have A Leaking Toilet?

Toilets are simple machines, but over time, even small components can fail. Most leaks stem from the factory parts inside your toilet tank—many of which are made from rubber or plastic. These parts naturally degrade over time, especially in homes that use tank cleaning tablets or harsh chemical bowl cleaners.

Here are the most common culprits behind a leaking or running toilet:

·         Worn flapper valve: If this rubber seal degrades or warps, it allows water to escape from the tank into the bowl non-stop.

·         Faulty flush valve: A small crack or gap around the valve can cause slow leaks.

·         Leaky fill valve: If the fill valve doesn’t shut off properly, water keeps flowing into the tank and down the overflow tube.

·         Damaged seals or gaskets: These parts can deteriorate with age, leading to subtle but continuous leaks.

The good news? These parts are affordable and can usually be replaced in one visit by a licensed plumber. Catching a leak early can save you big—especially if it’s happening 24/7.

How Much Water Can a Running Toilet Waste?

Let’s break it down with a worst-case scenario:

·         A standard toilet uses about 1.5 gallons per flush

·         It takes about 30 seconds to refill the tank after a flush

·         That’s about 3 gallons per minute if the toilet is constantly running

·         There are 1,440 minutes in a day

That adds up to 4,320 gallons per day—or over 30,000 gallons per week

Typical Leak Rates (Gallons per minute-GPM, Gallons per hour-GPH)

• Slow Trickle (Faulty Flapper): Around 0.5 GPH, which equals over 360 gallons/month.
• Medium Leak: Around 250 gallons/day or 7500 gallons/month.
• Running Fill Valve: Can be 1 to 3 GPM, wasting thousands of gallons daily or 40,000-130,000 gallons/month
• Large Leak (Constant Flow): Can be 4,000+ gallons/day, adding significantly to your bill. 

To put it into perspective, the average household in the U.S. uses 80–100 gallons of water per day, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. So, a leaking toilet could be wasting 43 times your normal weekly water usage—all without you realizing it until the bill arrives.