High Water Bill in Hartland? Township Leaders say 'Be Vigilant'

Residents of Hartland recently received their water and sewer bills for last quarter, which included the summer months of July, August and September.

According to township manager James Wickman, the township has already received calls from residents questioning the high amount of some of their bills.

“It is very, very common for residents to sometimes be surprised over their water bill and think that something is wrong,” Wickman said. “Particularly with the meter.”

Wickman explained that due to the heavy usage during summer months, higher water bills are common and that it is unlikely that the water meter failed. 

“When they do fail,” he said. “They under read.”

Wickman suggested that residents be “vigilant” and watch for:

• Rips or leaks in fixtures that may occur and can result in an unexpected high water flow.
• Breaks in irrigation lines and broken sprinkler heads.
• Overwatering of lawns.
• Toilet leaks, which are the biggest culprits, according to Wickman.

“An excellent way to test for that is to take some food coloring and drop it into the tank and if the food coloring makes it into the bowl, you know you have some sort of leak,” he said.