Finding and Repairing Leaks

How to Check for a Water Leak

1. Make sure water is not being used inside or outside before checking the meter (washing machine, dishwasher, etc.).
2. Go out to your water meter box, which is typically near the sidewalk. The box will have a metal, fiberglass, or plastic lid.
3. Remove the lid and look at the meter register. The meter will have a digital display or numbers and dials. Look for a small red dial or triangle on the analog meter or a + sign on the digital meter. This is a leak indicator.
4. If you are not using any water, the leak indicator should be stationary. Watch it for a few minutes — if it's turning, that means there is water moving through your meter. If there is usage, continue to follow the steps below.
5. Next, determine if the issue is inside the house or outside. Turn off your house valve, which is typically located on the side of your house or garage and will have a hose bib at the top. Turn the valve completely off, then check the water meter again.
   • If there is no usage (the red dial/triangle is no longer moving), the leak is somewhere inside the house.
   • If the meter continues to spin, the leak is outside.

Locating an Outside Leak

1. Walk the property and look for obvious wet spots or areas that may be unusually green with vegetation growth.
2. Check your irrigation system the next time it runs. Look for water shooting out of emitters instead of dripping, and make sure the system doesn't continue to run after its set shutoff time.
3. Note that some leaks percolate through the ground and do not surface. If this is the case, consider hiring a plumber with leak detection equipment.

Locating an Inside Leak

1. Start with your toilets, as they are responsible for the majority of high water use complaints. Remove the lid from the back of your toilet and check the water level in the tank — it should be 1" below the overflow.
2. Look for a calcium ring in the tank. If there is more than one line, check whether the higher level is at the same level as the overflow. This indicates your float valve may be intermittently out of adjustment and may need to be replaced.
3. If the water level looks good, perform a dye test to determine if the flapper needs to be replaced. Use food coloring or dye tablets (available at our office). Approximately five minutes after the last flush, put a couple of drops of food coloring or a dye tablet in the tank and wait. If the colored water seeps into the toilet bowl, you have a bad flapper.
4. Check for dripping faucets, wet flooring, wet walls, leaking water heaters, and leaking washing machine hoses.
5. If you have a water softener, make sure it is working properly and is not stuck on the rinse cycle.
6. If you are unable to locate the issue, contact a plumber.

Additional Considerations for High Usage and Conservation

• Check landscape watering system valves and emitters periodically for leaks and keep sprinkler heads in good shape.
• Adjust sprinklers so only the vegetation is watered, not the house, sidewalk, or street.
• Install covers on pools and spas and check for leaks around pumps.
• Consider whether there are more people in the home than usual taking baths and showers.
• Consider whether you are doing more loads of laundry than usual.
• Consider whether you are doing a landscape project, starting a new lawn, or other projects that use water.
• Consider whether you are washing vehicles more often than usual.

How to Measure Your Irrigation System Usage

1. Before the irrigation system is scheduled to run, go to your water meter and write down all of the numbers on the register.
2. Let the cycle run without using any additional water (dishwasher, shower, etc.).
3. Once the cycle is complete, go back to your water meter and write down all the numbers on the register again.
4. Subtract the first set of numbers from the second — this tells you how much water your irrigation system uses per cycle.
5. Repeat this check periodically. If consumption increases without any changes on your end (adding vegetation, increasing watering time), that indicates an issue with your system.