How much does a water bill cost for an apartment

On average, the monthly water cost in an apartment with two residents ranges between $40 and $50 per month.

The average cost of water bills depends on different factors such as the location, the number of residents, per unit cost, and the apartment size.

How much water ends up costing per month in an apartment also depends on personal habits.

If you take a long time in the shower, clean lots of clothes and dishes, and let the water run while brushing, the water bill will be higher.

Table of Contents

Do You Have to Pay for Water in an Apartment?
Why My Apartment Water Bill is So High?
How Can I Lower My Apartment Water Bill?
- 1. Shut off the Faucet when Not in Use
- 2. Runs Washing Machines in Shorter Cycles
- 3. Use Dishwasher Instead of Hand Washing Dishes
- 4. Buy Low Flow Shower Head
- 5. Install Sink Aerators
- 6. Save Cooking Water
- 7. Repairing Leaks
- 8. Replace Toilet with a Dual Flush Toilet
- 9. Buy Energy Star Compliance Appliances
- 10. Recycle Water
- 11. Encourage Water Conservation
- 12. Harvest Rain Water
- 13. Use Soapy Water to Wash Your Car
Conclusion

Do You Have to Pay for Water in an Apartment?

Apartment owners are required to pay their water bills. Unless your apartment lease agreement says otherwise, you as a tenant are responsible to pay for the water bills.

In some apartments, water bills and other utilities such as electricity, gas, and maintenance cost are included in a single monthly bill.

Moreover, some apartment utility bills are dispatched quarterly instead of monthly.

Why My Apartment Water Bill is So High?

Several factors can result in the apartment water bill being high. You should know how much water is consumed by different activities. Typically, most water is consumed in toilets, washing machines, and showers.

Sometimes leaks in the sink, faucet, or toilet can also cause the apartment water bill to be high. A leak may seem insignificant but constant dripping of water can consume a large amount of water.

The location of the apartment is also a factor that can increase the price of water. If you live in an area with a water supply issue, the cost of water will be high.

How Can I Lower My Apartment Water Bill?

The USGS estimates that the average American uses up to 100 gallons of water indoors every day. You can do a lot to lower the daily water consumption.

Lowering the water consumption will benefit you both individually and as a part of society.

Efforts to conserve water will lead to reduced energy bills. Moreover, water conservation efforts at the individual level will prevent water shortages in the community.

Here are some tips that can help you reduce conserve water and lower your water bills.

1. Shut off the Faucet when Not in Use

Most people consume more water than required when washing dishes, shaving, and washing hands. Letting the water run while washing or shaving can waste a quarter or more gallons of water.

You should turn on the faucet only when using the water. Shutting off the faucet when not using the water will help conserve a lot of water and lower the utility bill.

2. Runs Washing Machines in Shorter Cycles

A lot of water is consumed when washing clothes. You can lower water usage by washing clothes in shorter cycles. Additional rinse cycles will result in more water usage.

Avoid using a permanent press cycle that uses cold and warm water for an extra rinse. Using a single cycle will help save a significant amount of water.

3. Use Dishwasher Instead of Hand Washing Dishes

Washing dishes in a dishwasher will conserve more water than hand washing dishes. You should consider using a dishwasher to save money.

Make sure that you run the dishwasher with a full load. Also, you should run the dishwasher on the shortest cycle.

If possible, use an energy-efficient dishwasher. The latest model dishwashers consume less electricity when washing the dishes.

4. Buy Low Flow Shower Head

A shower is the third biggest source of water consumption in most homes.

A great way to conserve water is to install low-flow showerheads. Most showerheads installed in old apartments made before 1992 have a high flow rate of 5.5 gallons a minute.

New federal regulations require that the flow rate of showerheads should be less than 2.5 gallons per minute.

Replacing the old showerhead with a low-flow showerhead will help greatly reduce water consumption.

5. Install Sink Aerators

Sink aerators can also help in reducing water consumption. These are installed in most new apartments. If you live in an old apartment, you can fit aerators at the end of the faucets.

Using sink aerators will reduce water consumption by about one and a half gallons per minute.

This comes to around 350 gallons of water per month. It is an easy and inexpensive way to conserve water.

6. Save Cooking Water

You can start making small changes in the way food is prepared to conserve water. Steaming instead of boiling vegetables can help conserve a lot of water.

You can steam vegetables in a basket placed over the pot when cooking rice.

When cooking pasta, you should use the smallest pot that can contain all the pasta. This will ensure that you don’t use too much water when cooking pasta.

Moreover, you can conserve water by draining the water used for making pasta and use it to bulk u soups.

7. Repairing Leaks

A leak in the pipe can result in the wastage of a lot of water.

Every drop of water per second results in wastage of about 44 gallons of water. Fixing the leak can help save hundreds of dollars in water bills per year.

Most leaks occur in either the kitchen sink or toilet shower.

You should contact a plumber if you notice any leak in the kitchen or bathroom. The cost of repairing the leak will typically be much less than savings in water costs due to fixing the leak.

8. Replace Toilet with a Dual Flush Toilet

A dual flush toilet can greatly help in reducing the water bills.

This toilet is a variation of the traditional toilet that has two handles or buttons that flush water at different levels. One flush is used for liquid waste while the other one for solid waste.

As compared to a single flush toilet, a dual flush toilet can be more expensive. But the extra cost is worth it as you will help save water and reduce the apartment water bill.

9. Buy Energy Star Compliance Appliances

You should buy Energy Star compliance appliances that use water.

The cost of upgrading dishwashers, heaters, and other equipment that use water may be high, but Energy Star-rated equipment will allow you to save up to 10 percent water.

Installing energy-efficient appliances will result in huge savings for you. The higher cost will be recovered within two to three years due to savings in energy bills.

10. Recycle Water

Recycling water is another way to lower water consumption and water bills in an apartment.

You can collect gray water – or water from bathtubs, sinks, and washing machines – in a collection device.

You can use gray water for watering plants, flushing toilets, and even washing the car. This will greatly help in reducing the water bills of an apartment.

11. Encourage Water Conservation

You should encourage water conservation among your family and friends.

Notify your landlord if you see any room for improvement. For instance, you can convince the landlord to water the apartment lawn during the morning or at dusk when evaporation will be at a minimum.

You should also immediately notify about any water leaks, a defective timer of the automated watering system, and other sources of water wastage.

You should also encourage the Apartment Owner Association to promote water conservation among the tenants.

12. Harvest Rain Water

Harvesting rainwater is a great way to conserve water. If you live in a garden apartment with a backyard, you can place buckets to collect rainwater.

The rainwater can then be used for cleaning the dishes, watering plants, or washing your car. This will also help in reducing water consumption and lowering energy bills.

13. Use Soapy Water to Wash Your Car

A lot of water is used in washing the car. You don’t have to stop washing the car to save water. Instead, you can use a more efficient way to clean the car and conserve water.

The best way to wash the car is to use soapy water. Use a clean cloth to wipe out the excess water. This will result in using less water to clean the car.

Using soapy water to clean the car and wiping with a dry cloth will help save about one-third of clean water.

Conclusion

The average monthly cost of water in apartments depends on several factors. Your water usage habits, number of households, location, and size of the apartment affect the cost of water.

Saving water is the responsibility of every one of us. You can lower the average monthly cost of water in the apartment by following the tips mentioned in this blog post.

If you own an apartment, you should contact a builder who knows about water conservation strategies when renovating the place.

Water conservation can help in reducing utility costs. You can also feel good knowing that you have played your part in saving precious water resources. Any effort in this regard will be well worth it in the end.

How much is water bill in Texas a month?

The average cost of water usage of 5,000 gallons in all cities is $39.83, a decrease of 3.40 percent over the 2021 average of $42.23. The average monthly residential consumption in all cities is 5,481 gallons.