High water bill in Al Dhw, Riyadh: before summer & rain season

Prepared by the technical team · editorial review · last updated 13 November 2026 · Sources

Before we start: what we know about Al Dhw

The centre of Al Dhw is at 24.6297, 46.7143, about 10.1 km from the centre of Riyadh, with an approximate radius of 1.2 km. The service-area circle on the map below is drawn from this point. Main roads in or near Al Dhw: King Fahd Road, Madinah Road, Al Batha.

The nearest wadi channel is about 2.8 km from the centre of Al Dhw (OpenStreetMap). The centre of Al Dhw sits about 587 m above sea level (SRTM open elevation data).

Al Dhw sits at roughly 24.6297, 46.7143, about 10.1 km from the centre of Riyadh, with an approximate radius of 1.2 km. That places it as a compact neighbourhood on the city's edge, where most homes are close together and the streets reach outward toward open ground. The centre of Al Dhw lies about 587 m above sea level, so the area is not in a low basin, and rainwater and wastewater drain according to local slope rather than pooling in one place. For a household, this matters because a high reading on the water meter is often a plumbing or storage issue rather than a sign that the area's supply is failing.

The nearest wadi channel is about 2.8 km from the centre of Al Dhw, which means seasonal rain runoff can move through nearby low ground and carry sediment toward storage tanks and pipe joints. Dust and grit that settle on roofs during dry months can wash into open tank inlets, and a heavier rain season can stir up what has collected. In practice, owners should check tank lids, inlet screens and overflow pipes before summer and again before the rain season, because a small leak or a stuck float valve left unnoticed can keep topping up the tank and push the bill higher. Inspecting these points early costs far less than repairing the damage a month of constant overflow can cause.

Many owners in the area wait until the bill arrives before acting, which is the most common mistake. Others ignore a slow drip at a tank connection, assuming it is trivial, when it can run for weeks unseen. Some attempt to re-coat an old tank themselves, yet internal coating is usually priced at SAR 25–65 per m², and the cost depends on the tank's size and the state of the surface, so a proper assessment is worth requesting before any work starts. Another frequent error is cleaning the tank only after a problem appears rather than on a set schedule. By recording meter readings each month and comparing them with the same period last year, owners can spot unusual rises early and decide calmly what needs attention.

Checks before summer and before the rain season catch problems while they are still small.

Signs that call for high water bill

The following signs are worth checking before they grow:

• The tank fills more often than before
• The meter moves at night
• A sudden jump in the bill without a clear reason

The most common causes

• A leaking toilet cistern — we check this before anything else.
• A common cause: a silent leak in the network.
• A common cause: a float valve that does not close.

Tools and methods, and when we use them

The steps in order

1. Two meter readings: Readings are taken with all use stopped, some time apart.
2. Cisterns and float valve: The usual silent causes are checked first.
3. Instrument survey: If the loss continues, the network is surveyed with instruments.
4. Report: You receive the readings in writing.

Facts and costs — Al Dhw

Questions from Al Dhw

Mistakes that cost more

• Waiting for the next bill instead of testing the meter

The written outputs

You receive: a report with the readings to support your follow-up on the bill, in a technical report with a verification code.