You know you have a leak when your faucet drips, but do you know how to find a hidden leak? If you suspect you have a phantom water waster on your property, follow these tips to find the culprit.

First, make sure no water is being used inside or outside of your home.

Locate Your Water Meter

Residential water meters are located in the front yard about 19' from the edge of the street. The first step is to check your water meter for movement. Look at the top of the meter; you'll notice a triangle called a flow indicator. It'll move whenever water is passing through it. If your meter doesn't have a flow indicator, you can use the sweep hand on the register to indicate water loss. If either the flow indicator or the sweep hand is moving, you may have a leak.

Check Your Toilets

Locating a leak is a process of elimination. Shut off one toilet at a time at the wall. In between each shutoff, go out to the water meter and check your flow indicator. If the small, red flow-indicator triangle is moving, that toilet is not the problem. Something else is causing a leak. If the small triangle stopped moving, that means it is the culprit.

Check Your Irrigation System

Shut off the anti-siphon valve that serves your irrigation system. Check the red flow-indicator triangle at the water meter. If the flow indicator stopped moving, the sprinkler system is the problem.

Water and Sewer Responsibilities

Service Lines to the Home are Private Property

Many property owners are unaware that they own the pipes—called service lines or laterals—that bring water into their homes and carry wastewater away. If service pipelines clog, leak or break, it is the property owner’s responsibility to contact a plumber and pay for repairs. The Town is responsible for maintaining the public parts of the water and wastewater systems, including the larger “main” pipelines.

Where does ownership divide along water and sewer service pipelines? It’s not at the property line as many people assume.

Water: The property owner is responsible for the service pipeline between the house and the water meter, which is usually located in the front yard, close to the sidewalk. The Town is responsible for the pipe between the meter and the public supply line (main) and for the meter (unless a customer tampers with the meter and breaks it).

Sewer: The property owner is responsible for the service pipeline between the house and the sewer main, which is usually located in the center of the street. The Town is responsible for the sewer main that carries the wastewater from individual residences to the plant for treatment.

Preventing Sewage Overflows

These steps can help you avoid the unpleasant and usually costly experience of a sewage backup in your home.

• Do not pour fats, oil or grease down drains. After soaking a greasy pan, place a paper towel over the drain basket to catch grease and food particles as you slowly pour the water down the drain. Put the paper towel in your waste cart.
• Do not flush wipes, diapers or feminine hygiene products, even if they are labeled “flushable.” As homes age, roots often infiltrate sewer laterals. So-called flushable products catch on these intrusions, or on grease build-up, and form clogs. (Watch videos from Consumer Reportsand the Water Environment Federation about so-called flushable products.)
• Don’t plant trees and large shrubs near sewer lines. Roots grow toward sewer line cracks in search of water, often forming root balls that clog the line.
  When buying a home, consider having the sewer lateral inspected. A licensed plumber’s video inspection may reveal cracks, breaks, offsets, and root intrusion. The pipe may need to be cleaned, repaired, or replaced.

Trash service is provided by Allied Waste (a.k.a. Republic Services) and includes two 90 gallon containers for trash and one 90 gallon for recycling with weekly scheduled pickups on Monday. Additionally, “bulk” trash collection occurs each quarter on the second Saturday of February, May, August and November. Residents are permitted to dispose of any non-hazardous materials, including unbundled brush clippings, up to 10 cubic yards (approximately three pickup truck loads).

Aspirational or "Wishcycling" has become a problem and entire recycling loads can end up in a landfill due to contamination by a well-intentioned recycler. Educate yourself and become familiar with the basic rules of recycling so your good intentions aren't wasted. Recycling guidelines can vary by location, so be sure to adhere to the rules in your area.

It is important that when recycling, you ensure your recyclables are EMPTY, CLEAN and DRY.

Items You Can Typically Recycle

Whether you need a small dumpster for a remodel project, or a large one for a major cleanout, Republic Services has you covered.

Choose the size according to the waste you’re throwing out, whether it’s household debris like old furniture and appliances, construction material like wood and sheetrock, or yard waste like trees, shrubs, and dirt.

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If your water service has been disconnected for non-payment, the account must be paid in full before service will be restored. The account will continue to incur late fees until the balance has been paid in full.

If you have any questions about this policy please contact Town Hall at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or (972) 294-5555.