Summer irrigation leaks and the Sacramento water bill

Why summer bills jump

Irrigation systems run more often in the long valley summer, and every zone that leaks loses water every cycle. A broken lateral line under turf or a cracked valve in a box can leak for weeks before anyone notices a soggy spot.

Check your meter

Turn off the irrigation controller and every fixture in the house. Then look at your water meter's leak indicator, usually a small triangle or star on the dial. If it moves, water is leaking somewhere. Turn the irrigation supply back on with the controller still off. If the indicator moves only then, the leak is on the irrigation side.

If it moves even with irrigation isolated, the leak may be in the house or on the service line. Our leak detection visit separates them.

Common irrigation trouble spots

Valve boxes where fittings crack, lines nicked by edging or aeration, sprinkler heads broken by mowers, and backflow devices that drip. Lines under driveways and walkways are harder to spot.

What plumbers fix versus landscapers

We repair the supply line that feeds irrigation, the backflow device and the house-side plumbing. Sprinkler heads, controllers and zone wiring are landscaper work. Knowing which side the leak is on saves you calling the wrong trade.

A simple monthly habit

Once a month in summer, read your meter at night after the last watering cycle and again first thing in the morning before anyone uses water. If the reading changed overnight with nothing running, something is leaking. Catching it in the first month instead of the third can save a lot of water.

Do not forget the hose bibs

A hose bib that leaks at the handle while the hose is on can push water into the wall behind it. Summer is when we replace the most outdoor faucets.

Questions readers ask