Hapeville itself has said that leaking old service lines and running toilets can cause big spikes in water bills. The city maintains its lines up to and including the meter; from the meter to the house, the leak is the owner's, and a plumber can find it. Call the number on this page to be connected with a local plumber in Hapeville.
Hapeville is a small, older city next to the airport. About 63% of homes were built before 1980, with a median build year of 1963, and many date from the 1940s and 1950s. The city buys its water wholesale from the City of Atlanta and runs its own water and sewer lines through the Public Works Water and Sewer Division.
What to do right now
- Check every toilet first. Put a few drops of food coloring in each tank and wait 15 minutes without flushing. Color in the bowl means a leaking flapper.
- Turn off all fixtures and read the meter. Wait an hour and read it again.
- If it moved, close the house shutoff and check again. If the meter still moves, the service line from the meter is the likely source.
- Look under sinks, around the water heater and in the crawl space for damp spots.
- For a problem at the meter or in the street, call Hapeville Public Works at (404) 669-2120. The city also offers meter testing and usage reviews if you are unsure the bill is right.
Signs and likely causes
| Sign | Likely cause |
|---|---|
| Dye appears in the toilet bowl | Worn flapper or fill valve |
| Meter moves with the house shut off | Leak in the old service line from the meter |
| Soggy ground between meter and porch | Cracked or corroded yard line |
| Damp crawl space with no rain | Supply or drain leak under the floor |
| Rust-colored drip at a valve | Aging galvanized fitting |
What affects the cost
- Whether the leak is a quick toilet fix or a buried line
- Access in older homes, including tight crawl spaces
- Equipment needed to pinpoint a yard-line leak
- The repair and its permit; Hapeville lists residential plumbing permits under Public Works, at City Hall on North Fulton Avenue
The city's Water Department maintains the mains and service lines up to and including the meter. The service line from the meter to the property is the owner's. Hapeville also encourages sewer backflow preventers on the service lateral for buildings connected to the sewer main at or below street level, to keep a main backup from flooding the house.
Leak Detection questions in Hapeville
Can a running toilet really raise my water bill?
Is a leak at the meter box my problem or the utility's?
Does a high water bill always mean there is a hidden leak?
Are hidden leaks more common in older homes here?
More plumbing services in Hapeville
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