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High WSSC Water Bill? Find the Leak and Get It Adjusted
Question: Why is my WSSC water bill so high, and will WSSC adjust it for a leak? · Published 2026-10-19 · Updated 2026-10-19
Why the bill jumped
- A leak. WSSC Water says toilet leaks are one of the leading causes of high bills. Its own estimate: a small toilet leak of about 200 gallons a day adds nearly $475 to a normal quarterly bill at FY27 rates.
- Tiered pricing. Your price per 1,000 gallons depends on your average daily consumption (ADC) for the billing period. For FY27 (effective July 1, 2026) the combined water and sewer rate runs from $17.90 per 1,000 gallons under 81 gallons a day up to $30.52 at 276 gallons a day or more. A leak can push you into a higher bracket.
- Fixed charges. Every bill also carries Ready-to-Serve charges, which don't change with use.
- More people or outdoor watering. Guests, a new baby, a pool fill or garden watering all show up as higher ADC. Compare the gallons and ADC on this bill with the same period last year.
Find the leak in 30 minutes
- Turn off every faucet, the dishwasher, washer, ice maker and irrigation.
- Read the meter (inside meters are usually where the water line enters the basement; outside meters are in a pit near the curb). Wait 30 minutes without using water and read it again. If it moved, water is going somewhere.
- Do a toilet dye test on each toilet: dye in the tank, wait 15 minutes, don't flush. Color in the bowl means the flapper leaks. WSSC mails free dye tablets on request.
- Check the water heater relief valve drain line, outdoor spigots, and the ceiling under each bathroom.
- If the meter moves and every fixture is fine, suspect the underground service line between the meter and the house or a line under the slab. That's a job for a WSSC-registered plumber with leak detection equipment.
The adjustments WSSC offers
- Underground leak: WSSC removes up to six months of excess water and sewer charges if the leak was repaired under a WSSC permit pulled by a WSSC-registered plumber.
- Sewer-only adjustment: for leaks whose water didn't go down a drain (crawl space leaks, hose bib leaks, burst pipes), WSSC removes the excess sewer charges for up to two billing periods. You need a plumber's receipt or a sworn affidavit that the leak was fixed and the water didn't enter a floor drain. The water portion isn't adjusted.
- High-bill adjustment (single-family homes): if the bill's ADC is at least three times your comparable ADC (same period a year earlier, same occupants) and no other adjustment applies, WSSC removes the charges for 50% of the excess use. WSSC must first confirm with a meter reading that usage is back to normal. You can get it for up to two consecutive billing periods in any three years. No plumber invoice or permit is required.
- Meter gasket leak: if a leaking gasket on the house side of the meter registered on the meter, WSSC adjusts all the excess charges.
- Customer Assistance Program (CAP) customers can have 100% of the excess removed once, for up to two consecutive billing periods in three years.
How to ask for the adjustment
- Fix the leak first. For an underground line, the repair has to be under a WSSC permit, so ask your plumber to pull one.
- Email [email protected] (or call 301-206-4001). Put your account number or service address and the adjustment type in the subject line.
- In the email, describe the leak, the repair date(s), who repaired it, and the billing period(s) affected. Attach the plumber's invoice.
- If you have an inside meter, include two check readings with their dates, at least 10 days apart, to show usage is back to normal. WSSC takes the readings itself for outside meters.
- If you still disagree, unpaid charges can go to WSSC's Dispute Resolving Board and paid charges to a Refund Hearing.
Takoma Park and DC addresses
Everything above is WSSC Water (Montgomery and Prince George's counties). If your bill says DC Water, as it will in Takoma, DC, DC Water's own leak and billing policies apply instead.
Frequently asked questions
Why is my WSSC bill so high all of a sudden?
Usually a leak, most often a running toilet. WSSC's tiered rates also raise the price per gallon as your average daily use rises, so a leak costs more than the extra gallons alone. Compare this bill's gallons and ADC with the same period last year.
Does WSSC forgive water lost to a leak?
Partly, in specific cases. Owners pay for all water that passes the meter, but WSSC's regulations allow an underground leak adjustment (up to six months, repair under WSSC permit), a sewer-only adjustment for leaks that didn't reach a drain, and a 50% high-bill adjustment when usage was at least three times normal.
Does a toilet leak qualify for a WSSC adjustment?
There's no toilet-specific adjustment. If the bill was at least three times your comparable usage, the high-bill adjustment can remove 50% of the excess once usage is back to normal.
Do I need a plumber to get an adjustment?
For an underground leak, yes: the repair must be under a WSSC permit pulled by a WSSC-registered plumber. The high-bill adjustment doesn't need a plumber, invoice or permit. The sewer-only adjustment accepts a plumber's receipt or your own sworn affidavit.
How do I request a WSSC bill adjustment?
Email [email protected] with your account number or address and the adjustment type in the subject, a description of the leak and repair, and, for inside meters, two check readings at least 10 days apart.
What is a comparable ADC?
Your average daily consumption for the same or roughly the same period one year earlier, with the same customer and number of occupants. WSSC uses it to decide whether a bill is high enough to adjust and how much to remove.
Sources
- WSSC Water: Billing Adjustment Request
- WSSC Code of Regulations 3.20.040 (high-bill adjustment)
- WSSC Code of Regulations 3.20.050 (underground, sewer-only and meter gasket adjustments)
- WSSC Code of Regulations 3.20.020 (ADC definitions)
- WSSC Water: Save Water and Money, Repair Leaks
- WSSC Water: FY27 Water and Sewer Rates
- WSSC Water: Resolving Billing Issues
- WSSC Water: Financial Assistance Programs