Water Service FAQs

Watch this short video that demonstrates how to turn your water off at the meter or follow these simple steps:

1. Locate your meter, which is typically in your front yard on the corner near the street.
2. Remove the protective cover from your meter box. Remember to replace this cover when you are finished.
3. Locate the shut-off valve, which is located on the street side of the meter.
4. You will need a crescent or tee wrench (also called cut-off key). This wrench can be purchased at any hardware/home improvement store.
5. Attach the wrench to the shut-off valve and slowly turn the valve clockwise a quarter of a turn. This will stop the water flowing into your home.
6. Confirm that you have indeed closed the valve and stopped the water flow by going inside and turning on a faucet.
7. To re-activate your service, attach the wrench to the shut off valve and SLOWLY turn the valve counter clockwise.

How to Check for Leaks by WHUD on YouTube

1. Turn off all faucets inside and outside. Make sure that your dishwasher, washing machine, toilets, etc. are not running.
2. Record your meter reading on the water meter located outside your home (usually on a front corner of your property). While recording your reading, you can also check the dial located in the middle of your meter that resembles a pinwheel. If you see that your pinwheel dial is moving, you can assume you have a leak. If the pinwheel dial is not moving, proceed to Step 3.
3. Wait 2 to 6 hours using absolutely no water. (Remember not to flush any toilets during this time.)
4. Record your meter reading again and compare the two readings.
5. If the reading has increased, you may have a leak, and you may want to contact a licensed plumber or repair the leak yourself.
6. If the reading is the same, you do not have a leak.

NOTE: Household leaks account for more than 1 trillion gallons of water loss each year in the U.S. Click here for a comprehensive checklist for finding leaks around your home.

Even pin-hole sized leaks can cause a significant amount of water loss. At 40 pounds of pressure, you may lose the following amount of water each day:

Most homes have some type of pressure regulating device that adjusts the amount of water pressure placed on your pipes, and often, when there is a sudden increase in pressure, it is because the PRV is in need of repair or replacement. PRVs typically only last 4-5 years. If yours is older than that, it may need to be replaced. If your current PRV has been in place for less than four years, it may simply need to be adjusted.

If you aren’t sure if you have a PRV, they are typically located in one of three places:

• directly behind your meter box,
• on the line coming into your garage near the hot water heater, or
• on a line coming into your home under your house.

PRVs are typically brass, shaped like a bell and about the size of a softball. They may be installed on their side or upside down.

If you suspect your PRV has gone bad or needs adjusting, a licensed plumber will be able to assist you.

Typically, WHUD water main leaks in the area surrounding your home will not impact your home’s service line or the quality of your water, though they may cause a temporary interruption in service while crews repair the leak. After the leak has been repaired, our crews will flush the line to eliminate any air or debris that may have entered the line during the repair. This is done prior to restoring service to nearby customers. Occasionally, after a line has been repaired in your area, air pockets can occur, causing cloudy, milky or discolored water; sputtering in your lines; or a build up of pressure in the line. To prevent any damage to your home, we recommend turning your cold water on slowly to release any air that has built up in your lines and flushing your internal plumbing using the following steps:

• Turn on the cold water in a bathtub. It’s important to use the bathtub as the larger faucets are better equipped to handle any sputtering of water/air. It’s also important to use cold water to prevent air from entering your hot water heater.
• If your home has a second or third story bathroom, you will also need to run that bathtub faucet, as air will go to the highest point.
• Let it run at about half force for 15-30 minutes (for longer service lines, the distance from your meter to your house, more time may be needed). This will rid your lines of any air or debris.
• Make sure the flow is continuous. Running water sporadically will not sufficiently clear the line.

If the cloudiness or sputtering does not clear up after you have flushed your lines, please report it to our office at 615-672-4110 so we can send a crew to re-flush WHUD’s main line . Once our crews have flushed the line, we recommend re-flushing your home lines, too. If this does not resolve the problem, we will send someone out to inspect.

For additional information and other common questions on how we maintain the quality of our water, click here.

WHUD is responsible for infrastructure (main lines, service lines, valves, pumps, etc.) and water quality up to the point of connection with a customer’s private water line (the meter box). Once the water passes the meter, the District no longer has control over what types of material are used, maintenance, etc. Therefore, the customer becomes responsible for the infrastructure and quality of water running from the meter to the home. If you have questions or concerns regarding the quality of water coming out of your faucets, we will be happy to sample the water at your meter and at your house.

Sputtering noises in your water often indicates that air has entered your service line. To prevent any damage to your home, we recommend turning your cold water on slowly to release any air that has built up in your lines and flushing your internal plumbing using the following steps:

• Turn on the cold water in a bathtub. It’s important to use the bathtub as the larger faucets are better equipped to handle any sputtering of water/air. It’s also important to use cold water to prevent air from entering your hot water heater.
• If your home has a second or third story bathroom, you will also need to run that bathtub faucet, as air will go to the highest point.
• Let it run at about half force for 15-30 minutes (for longer service lines, the distance from your meter to your house, more time may be needed). This will rid your lines of any air or debris.
• Make sure the flow is continuous. Running water sporadically will not sufficiently clear the line.

If the sputtering does not clear up after you have flushed your lines, please report it to our office at 615-672-4110 so we can send a crew to re-flush WHUD’s main line . Once our crews have flushed the line, we recommend re-flushing your home lines, too. If this does not resolve the problem, we will send someone out to inspect.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

1. District agrees to furnish and install at its expense, a water meter and/or tap of the size, type, and make to meet the requirements of the consumer. Title to said meter shall be vested in District; same shall be read, from time to time, by authorized representative of District; consumer hereby gives such representative permission to enter his premises for this purpose.
2. Consumer shall lay, at his expense, and shall own and maintain any and all lateral, service lines, or pipes from said meter/tap on his premises.
3. Consumer agrees not to waste water; District shall have the right to determine what constitutes waste and may act when necessary to restrict the use of water or cut off same in order to stop such waste.
4. Consumer agrees, in the event said meter/tap is damaged or destroyed, except by the act of District, that same shall be replaced or repaired at the consumer’s expense.
5. Consumer shall pay fees in accordance to those determined and set by the Board of Commissioners; such fees are subject to change by the Board of Commissioners whenever deemed necessary by same in accordance with the laws of the state of Tennessee. These fees available upon request.
6. A monthly bill will be rendered by the District and unless same is paid within ten days after the due date, the District shall have the right to shut off the water without notice, same shall not be reinstated until consumer has paid all amounts due, including a service fee.
7. District does not guarantee quantity, flow, or quality of water and makes no warranty either expressed or implied, that the supply will be sufficient to meet consumer’s needs.
8. District may, when necessary to make repairs or for any other reason shut off consumer’s water supply without being liable therefore.
9. District shall have the right at any time to make, change and put into effect rules and regulations governing the use of water, as well as establishing, setting and changing of fees.
10. Backflow device repairs and maintenance are the responsibility of the customer. Required annual testing performed by Certified WHUD personnel.
11. In the event of a violation of breach of this agreement by the consumer, District shall have the right to cut off consumer’s water and the same shall not be turned on except by the District, upon consumer correcting such violation or breach and payment of a fee therefore.
12. The foregoing agreement shall be binding upon the parties hereto, their heirs, successors, personal representative lessees, grantees, and assigns and may only be cancelled by consumer giving written notice to the District.
13. Sewer service line installation specifications and sewer inspection request forms are available on our website under Construction Support in the specifications section. Preliminary and final sewer inspections are required and must be completed before service can be transferred. Contact WHUD’s Engineering Department at 615-672-4110 x 241 to obtain detailed information about connecting to our sewer mains and to find out if there are any additional costs to be incurred by the customer. Retail, commercial, and multi-family fees will be calculated on an individual basis.