The short answer
If your meter keeps moving when no water is in use, you have a leak. The most common culprits are a toilet that runs, a dripping faucet and a leak in the underground line between the meter and the house. A high bill with no leak usually comes from a change in use, such as irrigation, guests or a new appliance.
Three tests find most leaks in an afternoon. The first is a meter check, the second is a toilet dye test, and the third is an inspection of the outside line.
How to read your meter
Find the meter
It is in the basement near where the line enters, or in a box near the street.
Open the lid
Lift the cover and wipe the glass.
Find the flow indicator
Many meters have a small triangle or wheel that spins with any flow.
Shut everything off
Turn off all taps, the ice maker and the irrigation, and make sure no one is using water.
Watch and write
If the indicator moves, or the reading changes in an hour, you have a leak.
Three quick tests
| Test | How to do it | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|
| Meter test | Note the reading, wait an hour with all water off, read again | Whether there is any leak |
| Toilet dye test | Add food coloring to the tank, wait fifteen minutes without flushing | Color in the bowl means a leaking flapper |
| House valve test | Close the main valve at the house and read the meter | If the meter still moves, the leak is before the house valve |
| Yard walk | Look for wet or spongy ground along the line | A service line break |
| Fixture check | Look under sinks and around the water heater | A slow supply leak |
If the meter moves with the house valve closed
The leak is in the line between the meter and the house valve, or in the meter itself. Call your water utility if it is before the meter, and call us if it is on your side. See our water service line repair page.
Meter still moving?
Call the 24/7 line about meter running and we will book the next appointment that fits.
The usual suspects, from cheapest to costliest
A running toilet
The cheapest fix. A new flapper or fill valve usually stops it.
A dripping faucet
A worn cartridge or washer. Cheap to repair.
A leaking water heater valve
A relief valve or fitting leaks slowly.
A buried service line
The costliest, and the one most people miss because it is out of sight.
Toilets cause more high bills than any other fixture. A toilet that leaks into the bowl can lose many gallons a day without making a sound. Our toilet repair page explains the parts. For leaks in a wall or under a floor, leak detection finds the spot without tearing out the surface.
Repairs to your side of the meter follow the standards in the Ohio Plumbing Code, OAC Chapter 4101:3, and your utility sets its own rules at the meter.
What to do next
- Fix any toilet or faucet leak you found
- Check the meter again after the repair
- Call the water utility if the leak is before the meter
- Call a plumber if the meter still moves
- Keep your bills and photos for the utility and your insurer
- Ask the utility whether it offers a leak adjustment, since policies vary
Who handles what
The utility owns the main and the meter. The line from the meter to the house, and all the plumbing inside, belongs to you. That is why a leak in your yard is your repair even though the water passed through the meter.
Billing for a leak varies by utility, and some offer adjustments or payment plans. Ask yours, because we cannot speak for their rules.
A toilet leak is quieter than you think
A toilet that leaks into the bowl rarely makes a noise. The flapper does not seat, and water slides over the overflow tube or past the seal in a thin, silent sheet. You can lose a lot of water that way over a month.
The dye test catches it. Add a few drops of food coloring to the tank, do not flush, and wait fifteen minutes. If color appears in the bowl, the flapper leaks. A new flapper is a low cost part and takes minutes to replace. If the tank itself leaks onto the floor, the problem is a different part, and a plumber should look.
After you repair a fixture, take a second meter reading with everything off. If the meter still moves, keep looking. More than one leak at once is common, especially in older houses.
Keep your old bills. Comparing this month to the same month last year shows whether the rise is a leak or a seasonal change, such as watering the lawn or filling a pool. A smooth line that suddenly steps up and stays up usually means a leak.
Water meters and bills in Massillon and nearby towns
Most Massillon addresses are served by Aqua Ohio's Massillon Division, so the bill and the meter belong to the utility. The utility's 2024 lead and copper sampling found 33 samples with none over the action level, and it maintains a service line inventory you can check through its lead map.
In Perry Township, both the City of Canton and Aqua Ohio serve water, and the name on your bill tells you which one applies to you. Canal Fulton runs its own water and sewer, and North Canton sells water to Aqua's Massillon system, so rules about meters and adjustments differ from one town to the next. Call the utility on your bill, and tell us who it is when you call.
Massillon water bill questions
A toilet that leaks into the bowl can lose many gallons a day, which is enough to double a bill.
Policies vary by utility. Ask yours about leak adjustments.
The utility does, but you can read it too. Lift the lid and look at the dial or flow indicator.
No. Irrigation, guests and new appliances raise use too. The meter test tells you.
Yes. We cover North Canton and nearby towns. Call and we will book the next appointment.