Matthew of Sedek Corona utilities department urges residents to check for leaks, highlights new meters and rebates

Matthew, with the Sedek Corona utilities department, urged residents in a recorded transcript to check for leaks, adjust irrigation timers and use new meter features and online rebates to reduce water waste and lower bills.

In the remarks, Matthew said most calls to the utilities office are for leak checks and that many residents contact the department about unexpectedly high usage on their accounts. "A large majority of our calls are all leak checks," he said, and described common signs homeowners can use: "You may physically see puddles of water. You may hear, like, a hissing noise in your pipes. Sometimes you're driving down the road and you notice that a sprinkler on the city's sidewalk is broken and shooting into the street."

Matthew emphasized the department's focus on helping residents rather than penalizing them, addressing what he called a "common misconception" that the sustainability team is "here to find you." He said the team wants to provide "tools to conserve water so that way you aren't paying these enormous bills and you're not wasting water."

For immediate, actionable changes, Matthew suggested residents adjust irrigation timers and check the utilities website for rebates and guidance. "A small change a resident can start today is adjusting your irrigation timer," he said, and noted the site lists rebates and tips.

He also highlighted the city’s rollout of advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) water meters, saying the devices "are more sensitive, so they can detect that they're the smallest of leaks" and that some meters can be linked to a phone to send alerts for excessive usage.

Matthew framed those tools as part of broader city conservation goals: "We are currently trying to meet and succeed at the goals that the city has set forward for water conservation," he said, adding that the utilities department cares about customers and the environment. He closed by repeating his slogan: "I love to save you gallons of water every single day."

The department did not provide specific dollar amounts, a timetable for AMI rollouts, or detailed rebate levels in the transcript. The utilities website was cited as the place for current rebate and program details.