Why Are Colleyville Water Bills Going Up?

We’ve received dozens of recent calls from Colleyville, TX residents concerned about their rising water bills. Our plumbing team did some digging — and those homeowners are right.

The average monthly water bill in Colleyville is higher than almost all of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. This is caused by 2 factors: the new city council water rate increase, and a spike in underground water leaks caused by old plumbing and local geography.

Mother’s team of expert plumbers lives and works in Dallas-Fort Worth. We’ve repaired hundreds of leaks and saved DFW homeowners tens of thousands of dollars on their water bills. We also help you get water overages reimbursed by the city.

Homeowners in Colleyville can save money on water bills by scheduling annual leak detection service. Over the course of a year, even a small leak costs more in wasted water than one leak detection appointment. Call Mother, and keep that extra money where it belongs — your wallet.

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3 Reasons Why Colleyville Leak Detection Matters

Why are we talking to Colleyville residents specifically? Simple — the 26,000+ people who live in Colleyville stand to lose more money from plumbing leaks than most other DFW residents.

Colleyville, TX is a hotspot for water leak detection for 3 key reasons:

1. Increased burst pipe risks. North Texas has the 6th hardest water in America, and a heavy concentration of live oaks with massive root systems. This combination of mineral scaling and tree root intrusion causes elevated burst pipe risks.
2. Colleyville water rate increases. Colleyville’s city council is raising water rates at a faster rate than nearly all of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. Wasted water costs homeowners here more than the average DFW resident.
3. Older homes + older pipes = more leaks. The average home in Colleyville, TX is 17 years older than the national average. That means most local plumbing systems are older metal and plastic pipe systems at the end of their lifespans.

DFW leak detection saves money — especially in Colleyville

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) states that finding and fixing household water leaks saves the average homeowner “about 10 percent on their water bills” per year. 

This estimate reflects areas with average water hardness and average risk of pipe damage. But what about the DFW area, which has some of America’s hardest water and an elevated risk for tree root intrusion and other causes of underground pipe leaks?

Mother tracked the last 3 years of internal plumbing service data. We looked for service reports in DFW towns and suburbs directly related to leak detection and repair.

We found the average Colleyville, TX homeowner saved 14-15% on annual water bills with annual leak detection service and a fully functional pipe system.

Why Are There So Many Tarrant County Pipe Bursts?

Tarrant County experiences more burst pipe issues than the Texas state average. These pipe bursts are caused by 4 primary factors:

1. Hard water mineral scaling
2. Tree root intrusion
3. Shifting clay soil
4. Broken sprinkler lines

Why does Colleyville have hard water?

The Colleyville, Texas area ranks 6th in the nation for water hardness. This is due to high concentrations of sedimentary rock formations that leach calcium carbonate (limestone), calcium and magnesium into the water supply.

Limescale, calcium and magnesium cause hard mineral deposits in home plumbing systems. These deposits form anywhere from your main water line, through your plumbing fixtures and taps, and out into your sewer line.

Over time, these sediment deposits grow and cause water pressure issues, pipe corrosion and broken pipes.

Tree root intrusion is a major DFW plumbing problem

Dallas and Tarrant County are home to some of America’s most beautiful trees. But our local trees — like live oaks — have extensive root systems that seek nutrients from the organic fats, oil and grease in our underground pipes.

Tree root intrusion occurs when roots bust through pipe walls in search of these organic clogs. It’s a major cause of small leaks that grow over time as roots expand and penetrate the system.

Shifting clay soil disturbs underground pipes

North Texas sits on a bed of clay-based soil. Soil with high clay concentrations is more unstable than other types of soil. This is due to clay’s natural tendency to shift, expand and contract when exposed to varying amounts of water.

Clay soil expands after heavy rains — that’s why your yard is full of puddles and damp spots. During dry months, the soil cracks and shrinks. 

Every time your soil expands and cracks, it shifts around your underground pipe systems. This instability puts stress on your water line and sewer line, which leads to leaks, cracks and full pipe breaks.

Broken sprinkler lines create underground leaks

A sneaky cause of underground water leaks is small cracks in your sprinkler lines. Colleyville residents rely on sprinkler systems to keep yards and landscaping green during the hot summer months.

Small leaks in a broken sprinkler line add water bill costs that are hard to notice at first. These leaks can travel down to your main sewer line and create larger breaks.

Trenchless electronic leak detection is a great way to find and fix these small sprinkler leaks before they become big problems.

Colleyville Set to Increase Water Prices

Community Impact recently reported on proposed water use increases by the Colleyville council. These increases may drive up water usage costs by up to 9%.

At just a 5% increase, Colleyville water usage rates would grow $0.20 for 1,000 gallons of water and $0.29 for 1,000 gallons of wastewater.

If that doesn’t seem like much, consider that the average family of 4 in Tarrant County, Texas, uses 12,000 gallons of water per month.

Plumbing leaks will drive up your water bill

The EPA reports that an average household water leak wastes 10,000 gallons of water per year. 

They note that families using 12,000 gallons or more per month (like those in Colleyville) have a higher risk for “serious leaks”. 

Schedule annual leak detection service with Mother, and eliminate the potential to add hundreds (or thousands) of dollars to your annual water bills when the local rate increases.

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Cost of Colleyville Leak Detection vs. Leak Repair

The average cost of professional leak detection services in Colleyville, Texas, is between $500 and $900.

The cost of main line pipe replacement in our region is between $5,000-$12,500. 

This makes the average cost of underground leak detection 80-95% less than water line or sewer line replacement.

Schedule 5 years of Colleyville leak detection services, and it will still cost 40-50% less than one major underground pipe repair.

How much does a plumbing leak raise your water bill?

The average underground plumbing leak adds between $75-$150 to your monthly water bill. 

The longer your leak persists, the bigger it becomes — and the more water it wastes. A fully cracked pipe in the Colleyville, Texas area adds $350+ to your monthly water bill.

Compare these prices to the cost of scheduling annual leak detection services. 

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Other long-term savings of yard leak location

Finding and fixing yard leaks on your property doesn’t just save you money on water bills!

Did you know that Colleyville offers water use reimbursement for homeowners who document plumbing leak repairs?

Visit our updated Tarrant County Water Leak Reimbursement Guide for step-by-step instructions on how to get reimbursed for your leak repairs.

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Older Colleyville Homes At Risk for Pipe Leaks

The average Colleyville home is around 47 years old. That’s quite old — the U.S. Census Bureau states the national average age of a home is 30 years.

Most plumbing experts agree the lifespan of underground plumbing pipes is roughly 50 years — this makes Colleyville, Texas, a town resting on very questionable pipes.

Older Tarrant County homes tend to feature metal pipe systems made from cast iron, copper or galvanized steel. These pipe materials — especially copper and galvanized steel — are prone to corrosion, rust and tree root intrusion with age.

If you aren’t ready for full home repiping, strongly consider regular leak location services. They’re a great way to extend the lifespan of your older pipe network.

10 signs of underground pipe corrosion

Are your old pipes starting to corrode or rust? Here are 10 tell-tale signs of underground pipe corrosion:

1. Increased water bill.
2. Fast-moving water meter.
3. Decreased indoor water pressure.
4. Wet spots in your lawn.
5. Unusually green lawn spaces.
6. Flooding around sprinkler heads.
7. Cracked pavement or driveway.
8. Sewage smell in your yard.
9. Foundation cracks.
10. Dirt in your indoor water supply.

Call Mother if you notice any of these red flags. 

Advanced Colleyville Leak Detection Services

Mother offers a suite of 6 advanced leak detection services to Tarrant County homeowners and business owners. 

1. Acoustic leak detection
2. Electronic leak detector
3. Infrared thermography
4. Hydrostatic pressure testing and diagnostics (sewer lines only)
5. Underground camera inspection
6. Trenchless ("no dig") leak detection

Our plumbers are trained and certified to use state-of-the-art technology to detect and fix underground plumbing leaks.

Mother’s suite of leak detection and leak repair services are fully trenchless — spare yourself the digging and excavation associated with invasive pipe repair! We’ll conduct your yard leak location in one appointment on one day, with no messy clean up.

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Schedule Colleyville Leak Detection Service and Save Money

Colleyville water use price hikes are set to make underground leaks more expensive than most of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. It’s vital to find and repair pipe leaks — even an average leak here can add $100+ to your monthly water bill.

Mother’s expert local plumbers are trained to use trenchless leak detection technology to identify pipe breaks, tree root intrusions and clog damage without unnecessary digging.

Schedule fast, affordable yard leak location service with Mother. You’ll save money and time on pipe repair, all backed by same day expert service and a sewer camera inspection.

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