If you live in the city or the suburbs, then there’s a good chance that you have a sewer system.
Sewer systems are an efficient and sanitary way to take care of a household’s waste.
However, because the local government runs your sewer system, you have to pay a certain amount of money to help with the upkeep of the system.
Some people might notice that their sewer bill is quite high.
Considering it’s a shared expense with others around you, you may wonder why it’s become so expensive.
Why Is My Sewer Bill So High? (10 Common Reasons)
1. Leaky Toilet
A lot of people don’t realize that their sewer bills and water bills are often combined.
Some companies won’t even list a sewer or water component on a bill.
They might just list water or sewer in its stead and simply add the other component to it.
For example, when you get your sewer bill, you might see that it has sewer on it in some capacity, but it doesn’t say anything about water.
That’s because the company just adds your water expenses to the sewer expenses.
As such, anything that makes you use water is going to impact your sewer bill.
If you have a leaky toilet, for example, you will have a high sewer bill.
The problem with a leaky toilet is that it isn’t always obvious that the toilet is leaking.
For example, the tank might be leaking into the toilet bowl, itself.
Since there’s already water in the bowl, it can be difficult to tell if there’s more or less water in the tank.
One method you can use is to put a safe dye into the tank.
If the dye escapes into the bowl without you flushing it, then you know you have a leak.
Since your toilet is leaking water, it adds to your sewer bill.
You’re expending water without even realizing it.
Your sewer bill might be high because your toilet is leaking.
2. Leaky Sinks
Another culprit behind high sewer bills is leaky sinks.
This is another piece of plumbing that can also be difficult to tell if it’s leaking.
The easiest leaks to spot come from the faucet.
You may notice that your faucet continues to drip water even after turning it off.
Each water drip is more money you’ll need to pay on your sewer bill.
The good news is that leaky faucets are usually easy to fix.
You may just need to tighten something.
Another, more concerning, type of leak is at the back of the sink.
If your sink sits under a counter, which many do, you may not even be aware of this leak.
Unless you clean the base of your sink regularly, this leak can go on unnoticed for some time.
That usually only changes if the leak becomes severe and a noticeable puddle runs out from under your sink.
In this instance, you can get the sink repaired or replaced, fixing the problem with water waste relatively quickly.
However, if it’s a slow leak, you might be making your sewer bill higher than it needs to be for some time.
If your sewer bill is high, it’s worth checking your sink.
If it doesn’t have a leaky faucet, you’ll need to check around its base.
Once you fix the leaking sink, you should notice that your sewer bill decreases.
3. Outdoor Faucets Left On
Another common reason why your sewer bill is high is that you left an outdoor faucet on.
If you have a spigot outside that you attach a hose to, it’s always worth checking to see if it’s off fully.
Because it’s outside, it’s subject to hot and cold temperatures.
In the case of hot temperatures, if the spigot uses a cheap plastic, it may degrade under the temperature, which might make it fall apart and start leaking.
In cold temperatures, the main concern is water that’s trapped inside it.
When the temperatures drop, that water can freeze and turn to ice.
The ice can then damage the spigot and cause it to leak.
Leaking spigots are a problem because it means you’re wasting water.
Each drip, even if slow, can make you lose several gallons of water each year.
That’s water you’re paying for without even using it.
The worst problem is that the spigot is outside.
It’s more difficult to keep an eye on it than the faucets inside your home.
If the leak is very slow, you may not even notice it unless you sit outside watching the spigot for a few hours.
The good news is that spigots can sometimes be pretty cheap to replace.
Depending on the material of the spigot, you might need to spend anywhere from $10 to $60 on a new part.
Labor expenses become a bit more expensive, but in most cases, you shouldn’t have to pay more than $200 for someone to replace it.
In the end, you’ll end up saving yourself a good amount of money on your sewer bill.
4. Leaking Hot Water Tank
Another major reason why your sewer bill might be high is due to a leaking hot water tank.
A leaking hot water tank presents several problems.
The first is that it usually means you’re not going to have a lot of hot water.
Depending on the type of hot water heater that you have, if you use up the hot water, it’s going to take some time for the tank to fill and heat itself again.
If you have a leak, it takes even longer since the tank is never going to be completely full.
Another problem is that it can lead to water damage.
Depending on how severe the leak is, your house could even become flooded.
The water can also lead to other problems like mold growth.
Besides having a high sewer bill to pay, you’re going to be paying for several other repairs, too.
A problem with hot water tank leaks is that they’re not always obvious.
For one, most hot water tanks aren’t in places that people frequent.
They’re in the basement, a utility closet, or tucked away in some forgotten part of a home.
Because they’re not always visible, it can be difficult for people to become aware of a problem until the problem is prevalent.
As such, your hot water tank may have been leaking for several weeks, if not months, before you even realize it.
That means your sewer bill was higher than it should have been for just as long.
Hot water tank leaks are repairable, but it’s usually better to just replace the tank.
That can be pretty expensive, however, so that just makes everything even more financially tight.
Your sewer bill might be high because of a leaking hot water tank.
5. Taking Long Showers
Although you may not think that your long showers impact your sewer bill, they do.
The water you use in the shower is wastewater.
It gets taken into the sewer system and eventually cleaned and recycled.
As such, if you take long showers, you’re using a lot of water.
Since utility companies charge by how much water you use, the more water you’re using, the more expensive your sewer bill is going to be.
If you’re a fan of taking long showers, you may want to consider getting a bathtub instead.
A bathtub allows you to soak and take your time without wasting water.
You’re still using the same water the whole time.
A shower continues to rain fresh water down on you and down the drain.
The longer your shower runs, the more water ends up in the sewer.
You can reduce your sewer bill by cutting down on the time you spend in a shower.
If you have multiple people who use the shower, they’ll need to cut back, too.
By shortening your shower, you’ll use less water and have lower sewer bills.
6. Doing Lots Of Laundry
Like running a shower for a long time, doing your laundry often can also result in high sewer bills.
It’s the same concept as the shower.
Laundry also uses water to wash your clothes and other fabrics.
When it’s finished washing your fabrics, the water goes down into the sewer as wastewater.
That’s why a lot of washing machine manufacturers try to make efficient appliances.
They know that people want to reduce how much water they use.
In doing so, they’ll save money on their sewer bill.
Besides having a more efficient washing machine, you can also reduce your sewer bill by running fewer loads.
If you’re someone who runs the laundry whenever you want to, you’re making your sewer bill higher than it needs to be.
A better option is to only run the laundry once a week or when it’s completely full.
You can always buy more clothes if you’re concerned about not having enough to wear during that time.
Buying a shirt for $20, for example, is going to be far cheaper in the long run than running your laundry several times a week and increasing your sewer bill for the year.
Your sewer bill may be high because you’re running the laundry too often.
7. Running The Dishwasher Often
Another reason your sewer bill might be high is that you also run your dishwasher too often.
Your dishwasher is similar to your washing machine in that it uses water to clean your dishes.
When it’s done cleaning your dishes, it drains the water into the sewer.
If you use your dishwasher often, t you’re using more water, and that results in a higher sewer bill.
Luckily, there are a few things you can do to reduce your sewer bill.
The first is to replace your dishwasher with one that’s more efficient with water.
This will ensure the dishwasher uses less water each time it runs.
Since you’re using less water, your sewer bill will be lower.
Another thing you can do is buy a bigger dishwasher.
Some people run their dishwashers often because they run out of space quickly.
Their dishwasher may be too small for their needs, for example.
By getting a larger dishwasher, you can fit more inside it and not run it as often.
You can also use more paper plates.
While it becomes more expensive in terms of groceries, it also means you’re going to use washable plates less.
That also means running the dishwasher less often.
Finally, you should always wait to run the dishwasher until it’s completely full.
Don’t run it if it’s still got space for other dishes.
That will ensure you’re using the dishwasher efficiently.
Otherwise, your sewer bill may be high because you run the dishwasher too often.
8. Stringent Environment Laws
Certain things outside of your control may be impacting the price of your sewer bill, too.
In particular, laws regarding environmental protection have become more strict over the years.
To ensure everyone has access to clean water, many governments have passed stricter policies.
This requires sewer companies to be more efficient or to invest in their systems to ensure they’re protecting the environment.
Essentially, it makes the sewer industry more expensive to operate.
Just like in any other business, when operation expenses become high, they have to reduce those costs by charging their clients more money.
This ensures that they’re still able to make a profit from the business.
Some sewer bills may be high because the company handling the service has to pay higher expenses due to environmental protection requirements.
9. Sewer Pumps
If you have a sewer pump or live in an area that requires a sewer pump, then your sewer bill will also be higher.
Sewer pumps help move wastewater and waste along the pipes that are at an incline.
For example, most sewer lines run at a downward gradient.
It relies on gravity and pressure to run down the pipe into the sewer properly.
In areas where the gradient can’t go downwards, a pump has to push it toward the main sewer line.
Pumps use electricity to run.
The sewer company pays for the electricity and maintenance of the pump.
However, to pay for that, they charge their clients more money.
As such, if you have a sewer pump or reside in an area that uses a sewer pump, you’re going to have a higher sewer bill than those without a pump.
10. Outside Main City
A final reason your sewer bill may be high is that your home or place of residence is outside the main city.
Most cities end up charging residents who live outside of the main city but still use the city’s sewer line at higher rates.
That’s because it requires more power and work to move that wastewater and waste to the main sewer line.
If something goes wrong with a sewer line, it also costs the city a bit more to send a repair crew outside the city than if it occurred within the city.
Since it costs the city more, the city charges residents outside of the main city more.
If you live outside the main city and use their sewer system, your sewer bill is likely high.
Conclusion
Sewer bills can cut into your monthly budget.
Reasons like distance from the main city, water usage, and water leaks can impact the price of your sewer bill.
