If your water bill is all of a sudden higher than it usually is – you should suspect that there’s a water leak somewhere, either inside or outside your home.

To determine where the leak is coming from…

  • Find the main shutoff valve that’s in your home and shut it off. This valve is usually in the garage or the basement.
  • After you’ve shut this off, check the water meter to see if the leak indicator or the sweep hand are moving which would indicate that water is still going through the meter.
  • If the water meter shows no movement – then you know that the leak is inside the house.
  • If the water meter shows movement – then you know that the leak is outside the house

You Know You Have A Water Leak Outside – What To Do?

The two most common culprits of a water leak in your yard are…

  1. Your sprinkler system
  2. Your outdoor water spigot
  3. The main service line between your home and your water meter

So, your next step is to identify which of these is causing that leak and those high water bills.

Is The Leak From Your Sprinkler System?

Here are the steps you need to take to test to see if the leak is coming from your sprinkler system.

  • Make sure your main shutoff valve in your home is turned back ON
  • Make sure all your faucets inside your home are turned off (also make sure any appliances that use water are not running water)
  • Turn off the water to your sprinkler system. This is normally the valve after your backflow preventer.
  • Check your water meter – if it’s not running then you know the leak is coming from your sprinkler system

Normally, we have found that leaks in the irrigation lines are usually in the pipe line that connects the backflow preventer and the valve box. We also have found that leaks often occur because of a valve inside the valve box that has malfunctioned for some reason.

Is The Leak From Your Outdoor Water Spigot?

Here are some steps to take if you find your outdoor water faucet leaking.

  • If you notice water leaking from around the handle when it’s turned on then you may be able to just tighten the retaining nut under the handle.
  • But if you notice that the faucet is leaking even when the water is turned off then the problem may be the washer which should be replaced.

Is The Leak From The Main Service Line?

Here are the steps to take to see if that leak is coming from the main water line.

  1. Follow the pipe that goes from your shutoff valve into the ground. The junction between that pipe and the pipe underground (which may be a PVC pipe) often breaks and causes a leak.
  2. Essentially, anywhere the underground pipe may turn to go under a driveway or around some structure – there may be a leak simply due to the fittings (joints) that are put in place.

Repairing Outdoor Water Leaks

Outdoor water leaks can be very complicated to identify and to fix simply because they can extend under concrete slabs, they may involve your main water line and they may require digging up your yard. Therefore, it’s highly recommended that you contact a professional plumber to assess and fix the problem.

A trenchless method may be used vs. digging up your yard which could end up saving you a good amount of money!

If you have any questions about water leaks or are having some problems with it, call Atlantis Plumbing today at 770-505-8570. We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.