Houston gets a good stretch of rain, the yard stays soggy, and suddenly a drain inside the house starts running slowly. Probably the weather, right?

But if your family's water habits haven't changed much, a higher bill may be your home's way of telling you something isn't quite right.

Plumbing systems rarely fail without warning. More often, they leave a trail of small clues that are easy to overlook—until they become expensive repairs. During the summer months, when water usage is typically higher, these warning signs often become more noticeable.