Possible Water Bill Impacts

As approved in 2023 by our Board of Supervisors, Toho Water Authority implemented a 5% percent increase across water, wastewater, and irrigation. Reclaimed water rates increased by approximately 12.6%. Those increases went into effect in October 2024.

If your account number is eight digits, your bill includes charges from the City of St. Cloud such as Storm Water and Garbage. If your property is annexed into St. Cloud city limits, these charges will be added to your water bill. These charges are managed and issued by the City of St. Cloud.

Billing cycles can range from 27-33 days. If your billing cycle consisted of 27 days last month and 33 days this month, the five extra days of consumption can result in a higher-than-expected bill. You can view your billing history by logging into to your online payment account​.

Check your irrigation system at least once each month for broken heads and look for soft, wet areas in your yard for possible underground leaks. Make sure your irrigation timer is following your assigned watering schedule. Toho offers free irrigation evaluations where our specialists will set your irrigation system to run correctly and inform you of any leaks. Request a free irrigation evaluation.  

Toho Water Authority knows there have been some equipment failures throughout the community. Generally, these issues have been with the electronic device that wirelessly sends usage readings to our billing system from the meter. Once this issue was discovered, we immediately began working with the vendor to address it. We understand this situation has been disruptive and assure you we are committed to resolving this as soon as possible. 

When our equipment stops working properly, our billing system will generate an estimated bill based on your previous usage or a technician will do a site visit to read the meter manually. When the reading system is rectified, your bill will reflect the actual usage. In some cases, you will see a higher bill once the equipment is fixed because it is properly reading your water usage. Any overestimations will result in smaller bills in the future. 

You may have simply used more water without realizing it – had guests stay over, topped up a pool, left a garden hose running. 

If your bill is higher than usual, check for a previous balance. If you did not pay your last bill in full, the remaining balance will be added to your current amount due, making it higher than normal.   

Leaks can dramatically increase a bill. Make sure to fix or replace any leaking faucets, fixtures, hoses, pool equipment or running toilets. Some leaks may not be clearly visible. To verify, first make sure no water is being used. Then check the dial on your water meter. If the dial is still going round, you may have a leak. Be careful when lifting the meter lid, there may be animals inside.

Toilets

If you hear your toilet running when not in use, there's most likely a leak. The most common causes of a leaking toilet are:

• Worn or stuck flapper
• Misaligned chain
• Tank float: When the float assembly stops working it allows the toilet to run continuously which may cause overflow

Leak test

• Place a few drops of dark food coloring into the toilet tank
• Don't flush and wait about 30 minutes
• If you notice food coloring in the toilet bowl, you have a leak

It is most likely the toilet flapper. It's easy to fix and can save you more than 200 gallons a month. 

The level of the water in your toilet tank should be at least one inch below the top of the overflow pipe. If the level is too high adjust the float ball and recheck the water level.

If you are not comfortable in doing the repairs, call a licensed plumber.

Pools are high water users. It's important to make sure your pool is running efficiently. Most leaks associated with the pool are found in the pool equipment. Periodically turn the pool equipment on and look for leaks. Using a pool cover reduces water evaporation. 

Your water meter may have been replaced by Toho. Meters lose their accuracy over time and need replacing. The new meter could lead to an increase in your water bill due its more accurate reading of your usage.