Yes you can, find where water line enters the house and find the meter. Now pick which direction you want to start looking and start digging. Dig until you find the pipe and continue until you find mud, this means you're getting close. Keep digging until you see the leak.
If you couldn't find your meter, look for the service line by checking your basement or first floor, looking first along the exterior walls particularly on the side of the building facing the street. The incoming pipe will come through an external wall or the floor and then connect to the water meter.
Near or at the center of the meter display is a colored triangle or asterisk. This triangle or asterisk is sensitive to water flowing through the meter and can be used to detect leaks.
For the most precise leak detection, plumbers use video pipe inspection equipment. These are small cameras mounted on long flexible fiber optic cables. Plumbers can insert these in faucets and other plumbing outlets to detect leaks.
If your water meter is still moving, that means the leak is on your half of the plumbing, and you need to call a plumber to repair the leak. If the water meter is not turning when you shut off your water, then that means it's on the water company's side.
The average cost to repair a leak in a main water line ranges between $354 and $1,696, or an average cost of $1,025. Minor valve or line section replacements cost as little as $100 while repairing a corroded water line can cost up to $5,000.
Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) is a powerful tool for finding underground pipe leaks. By transmitting radar energy into the ground and monitoring the strength and time delay of any reverberations, it can detect changes in underlying soil or structural irregularities that could signify a leak.
Who is Responsible for the Water Line From the Street to Your House? Water service lines within the bounds of your property are considered your personal responsibility to maintain, while public water pipes outside of private property lines are the city's responsibility.
Under most standard home insurance policies, if water damage occurs suddenly or accidentally from a source inside your home, such as a busted pipe, it will likely be covered by your homeowners insurance. If the water comes from outside your home, it will not be covered by your standard policy.
According to Doityourself.com, the most obvious place for signs of water damage is on your walls and ceilings. If the paint is cracking or there are visible stains, the inspector will note that there has been a leak. If left unchecked, mold can grow, causing dangerous health issues.
In some cases, a high water bill with no visible leak is a sign that your water meter is malfunctioning. If you believe this is the case, one of the simplest ways to check is to stop using your water for a few hours, and then check the meter.
You can determine whether you have a leak by shutting off all the water indoors and outdoors before checking your water meter. Movement on the leak detection gauge of your water meter, with all the water shut off, means you have a leak.
Main Water Line Repair by Type of Repair Needed
A cracked pipe can cost anywhere from $500 to $1,000, while a broken pipe runs between $500 and $5,000. Corroded pipe repair costs from $600 to $5,000.
The city is also responsible for the water meter, as well as the water line that leads up to the meter, and will pay for repairs unless the homeowner or a plumber caused damage to the water meter. The homeowner must maintain any portion of the water line past the water meter, after the water goes through the meter.
The signs to look out with a leak include:
Visible water pooling around the meter itself or in the meter hole. A damp patch. Small leaks or visible damage to the connection pipes leading to and from the meter or the stopcock.
Meter Readings: Keep track of your meter readings over time to monitor for any sudden fluctuations or inconsistencies. A sudden increase in energy consumption without a corresponding change in usage patterns could signal a malfunctioning meter.
Is it possible for a meter to be read incorrectly? Meters are typically not wrong, but every once in a while, they can be misread. Although it is very uncommon, the meter reader can incorrectly read the meter or incorrectly enter the reading in their notebook.
Most often, leaks between the meter and the house are the responsibility of the homeowner; leaks from the meter or pipes leading from the main to the meter are the responsibility of the water utility. The water utility should be contacted before any attempt to repair the water supply pipe.
Meter boxes are set in the ground and will retain water from various sources, such as rain, sprinklers, or runoff. If none of these are the source and you see water in your meter box, you may have a leak.