Signs of a Hidden Sprinkler Leak in Georgetown, TX

The surest sign of a hidden sprinkler leak in Georgetown is a water meter that keeps turning when nothing in the house or yard is running. Wet spots that never dry, a valve box full of water and a bill that climbs while your watering days stay the same are the other clues, and most of them can be checked in an afternoon.

Sprinkler leaks hide well. Here is what to look for, how to confirm it at the meter, and what a proper repair involves under Texas rules.

Why do sprinkler leaks go unnoticed for so long?

Sprinkler leaks go unnoticed because the system runs while you are asleep. The EPA's WaterSense program points out that broken or missing sprinkler heads are hard to find because most irrigation systems run overnight or early in the morning.

Georgetown's own rules push watering into those hours. Under the city's current Drought Stage 1 restrictions, irrigation systems may not run between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. on any day, or on Mondays at all, according to the Georgetown Water Utility. A geyser at 5 a.m. on a Tuesday has nobody watching it.

How much water can a small sprinkler leak waste?

A small sprinkler leak wastes far more than it looks like it should. The EPA's Fix a Leak Week guidance says an irrigation leak 1/32nd of an inch across, about the thickness of a dime, can waste about 6,300 gallons of water per month.

WaterSense also estimates that broken heads and cracked pipes can cost a household up to 25,000 gallons over a six-month irrigation season. The same program notes that homes with timer-controlled irrigation already use about 50 percent more water outdoors than homes without it, before any leak is added.

What are the signs of a sprinkler leak in the yard?

The signs of a sprinkler leak in the yard are usually water where it should not be and dry ground where water should be. Walk each zone a few hours after a watering cycle and look for these:

• Puddles or soggy turf between cycles. WaterSense says water pooling on the surface between irrigation cycles could be a sign of an underground leak.
• A valve box full of water. If a valve cannot close completely, the system can seep water even when it is turned off, according to WaterSense.
• Heads that do not pop up fully or sit tilted. WaterSense lists both as signs of trouble, since they spray the wrong areas.
• Water bubbling at the base of a head. Leaks can occur at the joint between the sprinkler and the pipe, and WaterSense says leaking joints can also point to water pressure that is too high.
• Dry, stressed patches in a watered zone. The City of Georgetown describes moisture stress as plants wilting in the morning, turf with a dull purplish cast and footprints that stay after you walk on it. When one area shows it and the rest of the zone looks fine, a broken line can be robbing that end of pressure.

How do you confirm a sprinkler leak at the water meter?

You confirm a leak at the water meter by stopping all water use and watching whether the meter moves. The EPA's test is simple: read the meter, use no water for two hours, then read it again. If the reading changed at all, there is probably a leak somewhere on the property.

To tell the sprinkler side from the house side, shut off the water to the irrigation system and repeat the test. Texas rules (30 TAC § 344.62) require new irrigation systems to include an isolation valve between the water meter and the backflow preventer, so a newer system should have its own shutoff for this. The City of Georgetown asks homeowners to turn water valves by hand only, never with a tool.

If the meter stops moving once the irrigation water is off, the leak is in the sprinkler system.

What if the meter still moves with the sprinkler water off?

If the meter still moves with the sprinkler water off, the leak is most likely in the house plumbing, and that is a plumber's job rather than an irrigator's. A Central Texas plumbing guide explains how to check for a slab leak in order, starting with a meter that moves when everything is off, a warm spot on the floor and a bill that jumped.

When should Georgetown homeowners check for sprinkler leaks?

Georgetown homeowners should check for sprinkler leaks every month the system runs and after every hard freeze. The City of Georgetown recommends checking your watering system monthly, and the EPA advises inspecting an in-ground system each spring for frost or freeze damage before using it.

The backflow preventer near the meter deserves its own look after a freeze, since it sits above ground. Our guide to protecting a sprinkler backflow from a Georgetown freeze covers what to do before and after one.

What does a proper sprinkler leak repair involve?

A proper sprinkler leak repair finds the exact break, fixes it and then checks the parts that Texas rules attach to that work. Two rules from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality matter most for homeowners:

• Under 30 TAC § 344.50, a backflow prevention assembly must be tested by a licensed backflow tester whenever it is installed, repaired, replaced or relocated.
• Under 30 TAC § 344.62, a repair that replaces the controller must add a sensor or other technology that stops the system during rain or moisture. The City of Georgetown notes that a rain and freeze sensor shuts the system off during rain or freezing temperatures.

The City of Georgetown's water FAQ also says that having a licensed irrigator service your system and check your controller settings qualifies you for the city's Irrigation System Checkup Rebate. Ask the utility for the current terms before you book.

B&B Landscaping & Masonry's irrigation repair service is led by a Texas Licensed Irrigator, license LI0028648, and covers leak detection and repair, sprinkler heads, valves and solenoids, and controller programming across Georgetown and Williamson County.

What to do next

Run the two-hour meter test this week, then walk each zone after a cycle with the list above. If the meter moves with the house quiet and the irrigation water on, or you find standing water you cannot explain, contact B&B Landscaping & Masonry or call 512.635.7701 to have a licensed irrigator find the leak.