Most leaks can be heard or seen, but some are difficult to detect. Your water meter may be your most useful tool in determining if you actually have a water leak on your property.
You can follow these steps to verify if you have a leak:
- Locate the water meter.
- Locate the water supply shut-off valve for your home or building. It can be outdoors or indoors and is commonly located where the main water pipe enters the building foundation. In a home, this is often near an outside faucet.
- Turn off all faucets, outlets and water-using appliances. Take steps to ensure no one else uses any water while you are conducting this test.
- Note the one-cubic foot dial on the water meter. There should not be any meter movement. After 30 minutes or more, take another look at the dial. If the dial has moved, especially a lot, you have an active leak within the water system. Now, close the main shut-off valve. If the indicator stops, your leak is inside the building. Check toilets and faucets. If the indicator continues to move when the shut-off valve is closed, you have an underground leak between the water meter and the shut-off valve, which should be repaired.
This test may not have tested the entire water system but will successfully test those parts of the system that were not isolated. You may have a pool, spa or fountain with the water supply shut off. Or a sprinkler system that runs on a timer that is currently off. Other testing will need to be done to test those systems for a possible leak.