Water Leak Detection & Repair in Lake City, GA

A search for a hidden water leak usually focuses on the plumbing inside and under the house: supply lines in walls, floors, crawlspaces and slabs. Not every leak that inflates a water bill is indoors, though. Some sit on the buried service line between the meter and the house, and a few are on the utility's side of the meter. Alpha Plumbing and Sewer begins a Lake City leak call by working out which side of the foundation the water is escaping from, because that decides what kind of work follows.

Three places a leak can be

• The utility side: the water main, the tap and the meter itself. Water bubbling up around the meter box or in the street is usually a matter for the water provider.
• The service line: the pipe from the meter to the house, generally the property owner's responsibility. Leaks here show up as soggy or unusually green patches in the yard, or as a meter that turns even with the house shut off.
• Inside the house: everything past the main shutoff, which is where leak detection in walls, floors and crawlspaces comes in.

Splitting inside from outside

The deciding test relies on the main shutoff valve at the house. With every fixture off, look at the leak indicator on the meter. Then close the main shutoff where the line enters the house and look again. If the indicator stops, the leak is indoors, past the valve; if it keeps turning, the leak lies between the meter and the valve. Make sure the shutoff really closes, because an old valve that only partly seals can make an indoor leak look like an outdoor one.

Signs that point outdoors

• A soggy strip of lawn along the route from the meter to the house, especially in dry weather.
• Grass that grows greener or faster in a line across the yard.
• A depression or small sinkhole forming over the pipe route.
• Water seeping through a basement or crawlspace wall where the pipe enters.
• Weak pressure throughout the house rather than at a single fixture.

Those signs belong to main water line repair, which covers locating the buried line, digging or trenchless replacement, and connecting the new pipe.

Signs that point indoors

• Damp drywall, stained ceilings, swollen baseboards or warped flooring.
• A warm spot on a slab floor.
• The sound of running water inside a wall with everything off.
• A meter that goes still once the house shutoff is closed.

Indoors, the work moves to isolating branches, listening, thermal imaging and moisture readings, followed by a targeted repair. The Georgia leak detection overview explains each of those steps.

When both are possible

Now and then there are two leaks, one outside and one in. A meter that slows but does not stop after the house valve closes is a hint. Fixing one and retesting reveals the other. In an older home where the service line and the indoor pipe are the same age and material, leaks can develop on both sides around the same time, and that is when whole house repiping alongside a new service line may be worth discussing.

Lake City permits and the water utility

Lake City takes plumbing and other trade permit applications through an online portal. Its permit FAQ indicates that plumbing permits generally go to a contractor with a state license, and that work connecting to a water or sewer main may also need approval from CCWA, the Clayton County Water Authority, as well as the city.

Questions about inside and outside leaks in Lake City

Who fixes a leak at the water meter?

A leak at the meter, its street-side connection or the main is generally handled by the water provider, so call them first if water is coming up around the meter box. Leaks on the house side of the meter, along the service line and anywhere indoors are usually the property owner's to repair. If the source is unclear, a meter test helps separate the two.

What if my main shutoff will not close all the way?

Then the inside-or-outside test is unreliable, because water can slip past the valve and keep the meter moving. A plumber can replace the valve, which is worthwhile anyway since a working shutoff matters in any leak. Meanwhile, closing individual fixture stops and watching the meter can still give useful clues about indoor branches.

Can a service line leak cause low pressure inside the house?

Yes. A large leak on the service line can reduce the pressure reaching the house, and the drop tends to show at every fixture rather than at one. A small leak may not change pressure at all. Low pressure has other causes too, such as a failing pressure-reducing valve or corroded pipe, so it is one clue among several.

Find out which side the leak is on

If the meter keeps moving at your Lake City home, call Alpha Plumbing and Sewer at (404) 409-4448 and let us know whether it stops when the house valve is closed.