Leak Investigation

Since 2007, the City’s Water Division has been installing new radio read water meters throughout the City for all residential and commercial customers. One of the advantages of the new meter reading technology is the ability of the water meter to send an alarm when water moves through the meter for more than 24 hours without stopping. Even small amounts of water running non-stop can add up to big numbers on your utility bill if not detected and repaired.

In both newer and older homes, leaks are typically due to flapper valves quietly leaking inside toilet tanks, which can go unnoticed for weeks or months. Other leaks can be due to an outside faucet left slightly running or cracks in the waterline running from the water meter to the home. This page is designed to assist homeowners and tenants with identifying fixtures within homes that may be using water due to worn parts or leaks in plumbing systems. Please review this page and do a home leak audit to make sure your water system is leak-free.

Meter
Meter Allegro

This is an Allegro LCD register. Notice this register shows “flow rate” in the upper right corner and “flow direction” in the top center. Additionally, if you have a leak, the “Leak Alert” icon will appear in the upper right corner. The Flow Rate is the current volume of water traveling through the water line. The unit of measurement in the flow rate area will be gallons per minute (GPM). The Flow Direction will be either positive or negative. If there is no flow, neither icon will be displayed. The Leak Alert icon will only display if a leak is present. A leak is triggered after 24 hours of continuous 15 minute periods of NO zero consumption reads.

 

  • The first step is to locate the water meter serving your residence. Water meters are typically in steel, concrete or plastic meter boxes located in front of a home or apartment. Look to see if your meter box is in a sidewalk, lawn or landscape area between your home and the street. Most water meters are equipped with a disc in the center of the register called a “leak detector” (see image above). This disc will spin only if water is moving through the water meter. 
  • Verify that no water is being used in your home by checking to see if the disc is spinning on your meter. If the disc is stopped or moves slightly back and forth, this is normal and no leaks are present. If the disc is spinning in one direction constantly, then water is being used somewhere in your system. 
  • Leaks in toilets are hard to detect because they are quiet. If you suspect a toilet is leaking you can turn off the water valve behind the toilet and check the water meter again to see if the leak detector has stopped spinning. 
  • Another way to check a toilet for leaks is to drop a dye tablet into the toilet tank and see if the dye flows into the toilet bowl. Dye tablets are available at hardware stores or City Hall. 
  • Listen around your hot water tank for a leak. Sometimes high pressure from hot water can pop open a blow off valve that allows water and pressure to run through an overflow pipe and vent outside or under your home.
  • Listen to all plumbing fixtures in and around your home (in walls, under sinks, in crawl spaces and exterior hose bibs) to detect the sound of water running when it should be off.
  • Once you have checked all fixtures in your home and the leak detector continues to spin, you might have a leak in the waterline running to your home from the meter. If your home has a main water shut off valve, you can close the valve to isolate the waterline.


If the leak continues, you may need to repair or replace the waterline from the meter to the house. If this turns out to be the case, you are required to obtain a permit to replace the waterline. For permitting assistance, contact The City’s Development Services Department (360-279-4510). Also, “Call Before You Dig” (811) to ensure that you do not damage underground utilities.
 
Water leak detection can be tricky and frustrating. We recommend trying on your own to identify the source of water leaks in your home’s plumbing system, but please feel free to contact the City’s Water Division for more information and assistance. The Utilities Office can be reached at 360-279-4530 and they will get you in touch with a water specialist. We can assist in troubleshooting, but repairs will need to be made by the homeowner, property manager or a licensed plumbing company.