FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Q: How can I check for a water leak?

A: Turn off all water using appliances and fixtures. If you have the small leak detection triangle on the dial of your water meter and it is rotating, even slightly, there is water leaking. If you do not have the detection triangle, observe the dial on your water meter. If this dial is rotating, even slightly, there is water leaking. Or, you can read your meter before you go to bed--don't use any water during the night--and the reading should be the same the first thing in the morning. If it isn't, you have a leak somewhere in the house. (The meter is read just like the odometer on a car.)

Toilet leaks tend to be less obvious than faucet leaks, but they can waste a significant amount of water if not tended to. If water is still running into the toilet bowl after it has stopped filling from the flush cycle, or if you can hear water running after the cycle is complete, your toilet is leaking.

Most toilet leaks occur at the overflow pipe or at the plunger ball inside the tank. To locate these kinds of leaks, remove the tank lid and flush the toilet. The water level should come to roughly a half-inch below the overflow pipe. Try adjusting the float level control screw so that the valve shuts off the water at the proper level. If the valve itself is leaking you may need to contact a plumber.

Although water may not be seen or heard running, your toilet may have a silent leak. To test for this, put a few drops of food coloring into the tank, but DO NOT FLUSH. If, after about 10 minutes, traces of the food coloring appear in the toilet bowl, your toilet has a silent leak. The leak is most likely to be located in or around the plunger ball or flapper valve at the bottom of the tank. These leaks are easy to fix with parts available at your home improvement or hardware store.

Q: What part of my water line am I responsible for?

A: Customers are responsible for the section of waterline from the shut off valve located near the edge of the street (curb stop) up to the water meter. All plumbing after the meter is the customer's responsibility.

Q: Is it important to know where my master valve is located?

A: During an emergency, you can't afford to waste time searching for your master valve.

The most common locations in your house or apartment are:

• where the water supply pipe enters your home
• near your clothes washer hook-up
• near your water heater

Every home, apartment and business has a master valve. To determine whether or not you've found it, try turning the valve off briefly and see if that shuts off all water faucets in the building. If not, repeat this process with each valve until you can do this successfully.

Once you've found the master valve, be sure to mark it with something distinctive--bright paint, a tag or ribbon. This will save you valuable time should you ever experience interior flooding or other crisis requiring quick water shut-off.

Q: Is Fluoride added to my water?

A: Your water contains approximately .85mg/l of Fluoride.

Q: What is the hardness of my water?

A: The hardness is 64mg/l (3.75grains/gal).

Q: What do I do when my clothes become stained by discolored water?

A: Occasionally, after a water main break, water will be slightly discolored. Should you wash clothes at this time and they become discolored, AVOID the use of any acid bleach such as Clorox. Clorox will set the color. Use something with a phosphate base to loosen the dirt from the fiber such as Calgon, Climaline or Borax.

Q: How do I start water service in my name?

A: The Authority requires that you come to the office, provide proper identification, sign a contract and remit a deposit. If you are a tenant, you will be asked to have the owner co-sign the contract. The owner does not have to be present at the time of application.

Q: Can I pay my water bill with a credit card?

A: At the present time, no. Bills can be paid through the mail service or at the Authority's office at 721 Allegheny Avenue, Oakmont. Citizen's Bank in Oakmont or any S & T Bank will accept the payment. Also, there is a drop off box located near the door on the Allegheny Avenue side of the building.

You can also have the bill amount taken from your banking account by use of the Authority's Debit Account Program.