01/16/2026
The image is an example of what the hourly usage rate looks like. It is helpful to determine if you have a leak or it can tell if you are watering the yard every day. The data is collected once a month when the AMR is driven by your meter to collect your usage for billing.
The below article was published in yesterdays Blanchard News.
Multiple complaints and concerns over unexpected changes in their water usage as compared to previous months. There are several possible reasons why this might happen. The typical household in Blanchard normally uses between 4,000 and 6,000 gallons of water each month on average. When water consumption varies from what happened the previous month or rises above the typical consumption, customers can become concerned. There are several possible reasons why consumption may go up unexpectantly. The most obvious one is a sizable increase in actual consumption by the customers in any one month. Because water bills are sent out thirty (30) days in arrears, customers sometimes forget that they filled the pool or they started watering the lawn again or the entire family was in town for the holidays. Another most common reason that causes such an increase is an undetected or ignored leak. For example, a slow or intermittent leak in a toilet can waste up to 200 gallons a day, while a serious leak or overflow valve malfunction can lose over 1,000 gallons a day. Even a faulty faucet having only one drip a second will waste over 250 gallons a month.
If you have not had any excessive usage, like watering the lawn, flowers, shrubs or filling a pool, then you should check for a leak. One way to see if there is a leak occurring is to make sure all water faucets and water using appliances are not currently drawing water. Then go to the meter box in your yard and open the trap door. First read the meter and write down the last four numbers on the digital display. Wait ten minutes and return to see if the meter reading has changed. If the meter has changed, then there is something beyond the meter that is using water, either a leak or maybe a water consuming appliance like an ice maker. In that case, go back and check all of the water faucets, irrigation systems, toilets, showers, dishwashers, washing machines, ice makers, etc. are not currently drawing water. Repeat the process again to see if there is still water going through the meter. This can also be checked by looking for a circle on the left-hand side of the meter display which will have a plus sign in the center if water is going through the meter. At this point, customers might consider contacting a professional to diagnose the possible cause of water usage.
About 10 years ago, Blanchard converted its manual read meter system to an electronic system that allows the meter to send radio signals to a computer that is being driven around the city to read the meter. The computer tracks the meters that are read as the crew drives through the area, and those meters that don’t report a read are manually checked later. These new meters have no mechanical parts, which helps to increase their accuracy and their longevity. The life expectancy for these meters is more than 20 years and are bench tested at the manufacturer. However, because there are electronic parts involved, failures can occur but those are generally rare.
If you do end up having a leak, if you can produce a receipt, or work order ticket, proving that you have had the leak repaired, the city can discount your excessive bill. This process takes at least two to three months to be credited within the billing system. The city does not want to see water wasted any more than you do. Also, if you see a fire hydrant around town being flushed, that loss of water is a planned part of the maintenance of the system.
When you see an excessive bill or larger than normal usage jump, PLEASE call the City Utilities Clerk at 405-485-9392. The Public Works Department can print out a “hour-by-hour” record of your actual water usage for at least the previous month. (See the attached example report) Timeliness of that complaint is very important. The sooner you call and get the investigation going, the quicker it can be resolved. The city does NOT monitor Facebook so posting your concern there accomplishes nothing.
