When the water bill on a rental comes in at double or triple normal, most owners call the city to fight it. I'd go look at the toilets first. Most of the time the bill isn't wrong. The building really used that water.
In October, someone in a New Bedford community group posted a $650 water bill. They usually pay $45 to $55 a month. Nothing was leaking, they said, and the toilets weren't running. Somebody in the comments said the same thing happened to them in Fall River, at $600.
I believe they didn't see a leak. A toilet can leak for months without making a sound. That is not a billing error. That is a leak you haven't found yet.
Education for owners in Fall River, New Bedford, Somerset, Swansea and Westport. Not legal advice.
Why is my rental's water bill so high?
Almost always a leak, and usually a toilet. A worn flapper lets water slip from the tank into the bowl all day and all night. The tank keeps refilling. Nobody hears it, and the tenant isn't paying the bill, so the tenant has no reason to mention it.
The EPA says a leaky toilet can waste about 200 gallons a day. Run that through Fall River's 2026 rates and you get the number that matters. One leaking toilet over one quarter is about 18,200 gallons. At $4.24 per hundred cubic feet for water and $8.11 for sewer, that's roughly $300 extra on one bill. In a three-family, you have three chances for it to happen.
There is one real billing problem worth checking first. Look at the bill and see if the reading says estimated. If the city estimated your usage, the fix is getting an actual reading, not a leak claim. The city's leak policy doesn't adjust estimated bills anyway.
Who pays for a water leak in a Massachusetts rental?
You do, in almost every setup. Most Fall River multi-families have one city meter for the whole building, and the owner is the customer. I went through why "water included" is usually just how the building is metered in the water and sewer included myth.
Massachusetts does let a landlord bill tenants for water, but only under M.G.L. c. 186, § 22. That means submeters on every unit installed by a licensed plumber, low-flow toilets and fixtures, a written agreement, a certificate filed with the board of health, and a new tenancy. The sanitary code says the same thing in 105 CMR 410.354.
Even if you've done all of that, the leak is still yours. Section 22 keeps the duty to maintain the water system on the landlord, "including any leak." And once a leak is fixed, subsection (o) says you have to credit the tenant for the water it wasted. The only break you get is on a leak the tenant knew about or should have known about. For that one, the credit only runs from the day they told you until the repair.
So there's no setup where you can let a running toilet go and send the bill downstairs.
How do I find the leak?
Start with the cheapest checks. Two of them come straight from the EPA's WaterSense leak guidance.
- Compare the bill to the same quarter last year. Not last quarter. Summer and winter use aren't the same.
- Watch the meter. Write down the reading, go two hours with no water used anywhere in the building, and read it again. If it moved, water is going somewhere. In a three-family that means asking every tenant for a two-hour window, so late at night or early morning works best.
- Dye test every toilet. A few drops of food coloring in the tank, no flushing. If color shows up in the bowl within 10 minutes, that toilet leaks. Flush when you're done.
- Then the rest. Dripping faucets, showerheads, the outside spigot, anything in the basement. A faucet dripping once a second wastes more than 3,000 gallons a year, but a toilet will beat that in a few weeks.
Most of the time the fix is a flapper or a fill valve. Have it done right away and keep the receipt. You'll need it.
Can I get the Fall River water bill reduced?
Sometimes, and less than you'd hope. Fall River's Excess Water Use Abatement Policy uses a leaking toilet as its own example. Here's what it takes:
- Usage has to be at least double your average quarter over the last 12 months.
- You need repair receipts, and the request has to come within 45 days of the repair.
- Bills not contested within 45 days of the billing date don't get adjusted, so treat the bill date as your clock.
- You get one leak adjustment every five years, and it covers one billing period. If the leak ran across two bills, they adjust the higher one.
- No adjustment if you didn't act right away once you found the leak, or for vacant buildings, estimated bills, or major renovations.
And here's the part owners miss. When it's approved, the city collects your average bill plus 50% of the excess. On that $300 toilet leak, you still pay about $150 of it. You also have to pay the bill while you're disputing it, because interest runs and unpaid water bills can turn into a lien.
The adjustment is worth filing for. It's not a reason to wait. Every week the toilet runs while you argue, the next bill grows too.
Should I ask for a meter test?
Only after the dye and meter checks come back clean. The city's appeal form says it plainly: residential meters "generally slow down and read low" as they age and are "not known to read high." If you ask for a test and the meter is accurate, there's a $100 fee. If you're still stuck, call the billing office at (508) 324-2330. Disputes they can't settle go to the Watuppa Water Board or the Sewer Commission.
How do I keep it from happening again?
- Read every bill when it comes in. A spike caught on the first bill costs you one quarter, not two.
- Replace flappers on a schedule. The EPA says at least every five years. They're cheap, and a worn one can silently leak thousands of gallons a year. I'd put it on the same list as the rest of the preventive maintenance.
- Check every toilet at turnover. The unit is empty, so a dye test takes ten minutes. It belongs in your turnover standards.
- Ask tenants to tell you when a toilet runs. Put it in the move-in packet and repeat it. They don't pay the bill, so nobody thinks to mention it.
If you'd rather someone else read the bills and chase the leaks, see our property management pricing, or call or text (508) 671-7228.
Fall River landlord FAQs
Who pays a high water bill in a Massachusetts rental?
Usually the owner. Most Fall River multi-families have one city meter, and the bill comes to the owner. A landlord can only bill a tenant for water by meeting every condition in M.G.L. c. 186, § 22, including submeters and low-flow fixtures. Even then, the landlord still has to fix leaks and credit the tenant for leak water.
Can I charge my tenant for water lost to a leak?
Almost never. Under M.G.L. c. 186, § 22(o), a landlord who bills for water has to credit the tenant for water lost to a leak once it's repaired. The one exception is a leak the tenant knew about or should have known about. Then the credit covers the time from when they told you until the repair.
How do I check a toilet for a leak?
Put a few drops of food coloring in the tank and don't flush. If color shows up in the bowl within 10 minutes, the flapper is leaking. Flush afterward so the dye doesn't stain. The EPA's WaterSense program recommends this test, and it takes about as long as reading this answer twice.
Does Fall River give a leak adjustment on a water bill?
Yes, once every five years. Usage has to be at least double your normal quarter, and you need repair receipts and an appeal form filed within 45 days of the repair. If approved, the city still collects your average bill plus half of the excess. Estimated bills and vacant buildings don't qualify.
Can a water meter read too high?
It's rare. Fall River's own appeal form says residential meters generally slow down and read low as they age and aren't known to read high. You can ask for a meter test, but if the meter tests accurate you pay a $100 fee. Do the dye and meter tests first. They cost nothing.
Sources
- City of Fall River, DCU Fee Appeal Form and Excess Water Use Abatement Policy: fallriverma.gov
- City of Fall River, DCU Price List as of 7/1/2026: fallriverma.gov
- M.G.L. c. 186, § 22, Water submetering and billing in residential tenancies: malegislature.gov
- 105 CMR 410.354, Metering of water and electricity: law.cornell.edu
- U.S. EPA WaterSense, Fix a Leak Week: epa.gov
- U.S. EPA WaterSense, Indoor Water Use in the United States: epa.gov