What a Water Leak Costs on a Morganton, NC Utility Bill

How a leak shows up on a Morganton bill

A City of Morganton water bill has a fixed infrastructure charge that depends on meter size and a volume charge for every 1,000 gallons that pass the meter. A leak does not touch the fixed charge. It adds to the volume charge, and if the property is on city sewer, the same gallons are billed again as sewer volume, because sewer is metered on water use.

Inside the city, the sewer volume rate is more than twice the water volume rate. So when a toilet flapper sticks and runs all month, most of the added cost lands on the sewer line of the bill. Outside the city limits both rates are about double the inside rates, so the same leak costs roughly twice as much.

The tables below are copied from the City's FY 2026-27 Schedule of Fees and Charges. The sewer volume rate shown took effect August 1, 2026.

Sewer volume rates and the calculator

Use the calculator below with your own numbers. Enter the leak in gallons per day and the number of days it ran in the billing month. A toilet that runs constantly can waste a large amount every day; a dripping faucet wastes much less. If you are not sure, read the meter twice, an hour apart, with no water running in the house; any movement is a leak, and the difference times 24 is a fair daily estimate.

Common leak sizes and where to look

Toilets are the most common source of a sudden jump. Put a few drops of food coloring in the tank and wait fifteen minutes without flushing. Color in the bowl means the flapper is leaking. Next, check the water heater relief valve discharge pipe for a steady drip, outdoor hose bibs, irrigation zones, and any visible pipes in the crawlspace.

A leak you cannot see or hear is often under a slab, in a wall, or on the service line between the meter and the house. On the service line, the meter will spin with every valve in the house closed. That line is usually the owner's responsibility from the meter to the house, and repairing it means digging, which means an NC811 locate request first.

Irrigation and pools

Irrigation leaks can run for weeks unnoticed. The City lists an irrigation rate per 1,000 gallons, and a separate sprinkler tap is billed differently from the house meter. If you have a separate irrigation meter, read it on its own.

Does the city adjust a bill for a leak?

The FY 2026-27 fee schedule lists rates and fees; it does not set out a leak adjustment policy. If you have a large bill from a repaired leak, call City of Morganton Customer Service and ask whether any adjustment is available and what proof of repair they need. Keep the plumber's invoice and photographs of the failed part. Do not assume an adjustment; ask.

Whatever the answer, fixing the leak quickly limits the damage. A leak that runs for a whole billing cycle costs a full month of volume charges, and water damage to framing or flooring usually costs far more than the water itself.

Fixed charges by meter size

If your home has a meter larger than 3/4 inch, the fixed charges are higher regardless of leaks. The table lists the inside-city fixed water and sewer charges by meter size from the same schedule. Moving or upsizing a meter is a separate city service with its own fee.

Worked example: a running toilet for a full month

Suppose a toilet flapper sticks and the tank refills constantly, losing 200 gallons a day for 30 days inside the city. That is 6,000 extra gallons. At the inside-city water volume rate that adds a little under ten dollars of water charges, and at the sewer volume rate it adds about twenty-four dollars more, so the sewer side is the larger share. Outside the city the same leak costs about twice as much. Enter your own figures in the calculator above to see your case. A new flapper costs far less than a month of that leak.

Leaks you can stop today

Most household leaks are cheap to fix once found. A new toilet flapper or fill valve, a faucet cartridge, or a hose bib washer takes minutes and a few parts from a hardware store. Fix those as soon as you find them, then read the meter again the next morning to confirm the leak is gone. Leaks you cannot reach, in walls, under slabs or on the service line, are the ones worth a plumber's time.

When to call a plumber about a leak

Call when the meter moves with everything off, when you see water where it should not be, or when the bill jumps and you cannot find the source. A plumber can isolate sections of the system to locate the leak, and acoustic or thermal tools help with leaks in slabs and walls. Ask how the leak will be located, what the repair will involve, and whether a permit is needed. Most small repairs to existing fixtures do not need one, but replacing a service line or water heater generally does.

The Free Quote Request form on this page goes to independent plumbers who work in Burke County. Tell them the meter reading test result if you did one; it saves time.

Figures on this page come from: City of Morganton: Schedule of Fees and Charges, FY 2026-2027 (PDF); City of Morganton Finance: Schedule of Fees and Charges; NC811: North Carolina One-Call Center. Checked 2026-10-29.