1 leaky toilet = 200 gallons wasted water / day = 73,000 gallons of water per year

Or...

125 toilet flushes/day

10 showers/day

20 baths/day

200 shaves or 200 teeth brushing /day

10 load of Laundry!

There are a few reasons why your water bill is unusually high. The number one reason for most customers with this problem is a leaking toilet. This is the worst cause for a high water bill! The following are a few things to check  for:

• You might hear what sounds like your toilet flushing all the time. What is happening is the water in the back tank is not stopping below the overflow. This means that the water level is too high and is constantly filling up. To stop this, bend the rod down. The rod has the black ball attached to it.

• In the back tank, there is a black flapper. If the black flapper doesn't sit properly after flushing, this could mean that it is either old or cracked. You must fix this immediately because the water is bypassing the flapper which causes your toilet to waste a lot of water. Unlike the previous problem, you will not be able to hear this happening, so it is wise to check for this problem periodically.

Conservation Tip:  Did you know that (toilet) leaks can account for up to 30% of indoor household water use? 

Checking for silent leaks in your toilet is easy! Put a dye tablet (free from EBMUD) or several drops of food coloring in the tank.  Don't flush, wait 15 minutes to see if the dye color appears in the bowl.  If it does, it's fix-it time. 

You will need to replace the flapper valve and to be sure you replace the flapper with a perfect match, take the old flapper to the hardware store to compare.  After replacing the flapper, do the dye test again to be sure it seals properly.

Source: Piedmont Garden Club

A flapper is a rubber mechanism in your toilet tank that is the moving part of the flush valve, sealing water in the tank and allowing water to exit the tank when you flush.

Flappers deteriorate over time as a result of in-tank cleaning products and chemicals used by utilities. That’s why they need to be checked every year to make sure they’re fitting tightly over the flush tube. Otherwise, you end up with a leak that wastes a lot of water and can increase your water bill.