Diagnosing a Water Leak

How to Diagnose a Water Leak

• All water must be turned off in the home (example: dishwasher off, washing machines off, no one in the shower, etc.).
• Locate the water meter which is located in the ground outside in front of the home or side of the home, near the street or curb.
• Check the water meter to see if the leak indicator is showing usage. The leak indicator is a triangle dial in the center of the water meter. If the triangle is rotating this could be an indicator of a leak. Take five minutes or more to check the leak indicator. Sometimes leaks can be so small that the leak indicator will barely turn.
• If water meter is digital the word leak will appear on the bottom left corner of the water meter and does not go away. Sometimes leaks can be so small that the meter will show the word flow instead of leak. Take five minutes or more to see if words "flow" or "leak" goes away or not.
• Another option is to take a minute to write the meter reading down and ensure that no water will be running while you are away. When you come back several hours later, the meter reading should be the same as you left it earlier. If not, the customer has a potential water leak.
• One major cause of leaks are toilets, so check all the toilets in the home. A leaky toilet can waste as much as 75 gallons a day. The Utility Billing office has toilet dye packets free of charge to help identify possible leaky toilets.
• Other causes of leaks can be irrigations systems, water softeners, water faucets, water heaters, etc.

Customer Responsibility

The customer is responsible to locate and repair leaks from the backside of the meter to the home or business.

Contact Us

If in doubt, please call the City before calling a plumber. We can assist you in identifying if the leak is on the customer side or the City side. Please call our Public Works Department 24 hours a day 7 days a week at 512-759-4016 and we will be glad to assist you.