Tips to Identify and/or Locate a Possible Leak:

If you have been contacted by either email, call, message, or personally, by your water service provider, you may have a water leak.

To determine whether you have a leak inside the home or outside in the service line, try the following steps:

1. Make sure all water related items (faucets, ice‐makers, etc.) are turned off inside your home.

2. Turn off the main water source to the inside of the home. This valve could be located under house in the crawlspace, in basement, or in the garage near the water heater. Some homes may not have this valve.

3. Go to your water meter (black oval lid, located near the road).

4. Lift the lid on the faceplate of the white meter.

5. Check to see if there is a plus (+) sign underneath the number reading.  The plus sign indicates that water is going through the meter.

• If there is any water, more than just condensation or moisture, in the meter box, please call your water service company. Condensation or moisture is normal and would not be considered a possible leak; you do not need to call the office unless there is a significant amount of water in the meter box (more than just condensation).

6. If the plus sign is not there, this would indicate an issue in the house/garage/crawlspace. If the plus is there, go to Step 5.

• How to check for a leak inside the house:

i. Check all toilets in your home for possible leaks.

Most of the time you will not be able to hear or see if the toilet is leaking. Helpful tips:

1. Use 5‐6 drops of green or blue food coloring in the back of the reservoir tank or you can get some dye tablets (free of charge) at our main office (some water service companies provide this).

2. Let the coloring sit for about an hour without flushing or using the toilet.

3. After an hour of letting it sit, check to see if any of the food coloring appears in the water in the bowl of the toilet. If so, there is a leak in the toilet somewhere.

ii. See if any of your sinks, faucets, or shower heads are leaking anywhere.

iii. Make sure that your ice maker is not stuck and constantly running its cycle (as if it thinks it’s empty).

Check to see if there is any type of leak around or at your hot water heater. Be sure to check the Temperature and Pressure Release Valve (T&P Valve) for any possible leaks. Here are some things that can happen if you have a bad T&P valve:

i. Constant water dripping from the T&P valve can result in mineral deposits that can block the valve and make it ineffective.

ii. In most homes, the T&P valves are plumbed to the outside of the home (small plastic pipe on the outside of the house near the water heater). When the valve opens, it releases water until the temperature in the hot water heater decreases.  As the water releases through the valve, the home’s water system releases additional water into the tank.

iii. If the valve remains open, then the results can be a constant stream of water exiting your house through the valve.  This will increase your water consumption and result in a higher water bill.

1. You may want to contact a plumber if you have any questions about your temperature and pressure release valves.  Do you have an expansion tank installed in your home near the hot water heater?  It usually looks like a round small tank on top of your water heater. 

i. Faulty thermal expansion tanks can cause increased pressure in the home’s plumbing system and can weaken the washers in your faucets and toilets. You may want to contact a plumber if you have any questions and/or concerns about thermal expansion tanks.

7. Go to the customer cut off box (round green or black lid).

8. Cut the water of at the customer cut off valve and then see if the water stops (plus sign disappears).

9. If water stops, the leak is somewhere between the meter and outside the house.  If the water continues once the customer cut off valve is off, then contact your water service company.

• How to check for a leak outside of the house:

i. Check all your outside spigots for any possible drips or leaks around the rubber gasket seal, the hose connections or at the main outside spigot itself.

ii. Check to see if you have any leaks under the house and in the yard (look for areas that may be more moist or greener than normal). 

iii. If you have an irrigation system, check all the sprinkler heads for possible leaks. 

1. Check to see if any are stuck on, loose or broken. 

2. Make sure that all zones are running separately. If they are not, the master valve has malfunctioned. 

3. Read the water meter between each zone to determine if one zone uses more water than others, this would indicate a broken pipe in this zone.

4. For the customers that may have a pool re‐filler or anyone that has an automatic re‐filler for their livestock, please be sure and check them for any constant running or any potential leaks.

FIND the telephone number of your water service provider by selecting "Essential Numbers" below.

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