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Water Bill Too High?

home with sprinklers

Surprised by an unexpectedly high utility bill? A higher than normal utility bill is typically caused by one of two things—a change in your typical water use or a leak somewhere on your property.

Examples of changes in water use:

  • An increase in the size of your household, for example, recent house guests or children who are now home for summer vacations or school holidays
  • Watering the lawn more than usual, such as when you’re establishing new sod
  • Pressure washing areas of your home
  • Filling or topping off a swimming pool or hot tub

Potential water leak sources:

  • A leaking toilet
  • A dripping faucet
  • Leaking garden hoses, spigots, or irrigation systems
  • A broken water pipe
Steps you can take if your water bill was higher than normal

  1. Compare the reading on your water meter against the reading on your utility bill

    The reading on the meter should be greater than the one shown on your bill.

    • If your current meter reading is LOWER than the one shown on your bill, contact the Utilities Call Center at (813) 274-8811 to request a re-read of your meter.
    • If your current meter reading is HIGHER than the one shown on your bill, and you haven’t changed your regular water use, you may want to check for leaks.

  2. Check for leaks

    Leaks can waste hundreds, even thousands, of gallons of water. There are many places where a leak can originate, and some leaks are hard to detect.

  3. Make payment arrangements or submit a Leak Adjustment Form after repairing a leak

    Payment Arrangements

    Need more time to get current? We can set up flexible payment arrangements from a payment extension to a monthly payment plan by:

     

    Submit a Leak Adjustment Form

    After you repair a leak, you may be eligible for a billing adjustment. Follow these general guidelines if you plan on submitting a request:

    • If your utility account does not have at least one full year of water consumption history, it may not be possible to review your account for an adjustment until a usage history is established.
    • The following documentation is required to process your request for a leak adjustment:
    • Submit the required documentation for a bill adjustment either by uploading it in Tampa Connect or by faxing it to (813) 274-8358.

Have a question about submitting a leak adjustment request or the status of a request that you’ve already submitted? Please contact the Utilities Call Center at (813) 274-8811, or via Tampa Connect.