My front yard is a marsh

[SagaLore]

I'm gone for a month, and I come back to a water bill with 3x typical water usage and a new front lawn swamp. At first I thought my hose was leaking, but I removed it and the next day the water is still there. Its not just stagnant either, it seems to be flowing. If I dig into the ground at the highest part of the slope, a new spring pops up.

As cool as this is to look at, I'm sure my neighbor downslope isn't appreciating her new moat.

I've looked around in the crawlspace and I can't hear water running, and its dry. I'm not aware of any sprinkler systems the last owner might have put in. What kind of service do you call for this? Plumber? Excavation? Priest?

 

[Savij]

Call the city and figure out where watermain runs under your lawn?

 

[OdiN]

Then the question is if it's a busted water main...is it your responsability or that of the city?

 

[olds]

Look for shut off at street.
Look for line going into house.
Dig between the two points.

 

[SagaLore]

But if its a water main, how am I getting billed for it? Wouldn't the water be leaking before it got to my meter? Or is the meter located away from my house?

 

[Savij]

Originally posted by: SagaLore
But if its a water main, how am I getting billed for it? Wouldn't the water be leaking before it got to my meter? Or is the meter located away from my house?

The meter is probably away from the house. You get billed for water, right? Where do they get the reading for how much water you've used? The leak is somewhere between there and the house.

And you can also shut off the water from there.

 

[AgaBoogaBoo]

Pics?

Welcome back by the way :beer:

 

[imported_Imp]

That doesn't sound good. If the leak is on your property and the meter is picking the leak up, then you'll probably be footing the bill. A few years back our main was busted/leaking in our front yard, but the location was just so that the city covered half of the bill or so.

I'm not sure where the meter is located (surprising cause I just did a project on them). However, there is likely a valve at the 'T' branch where your house is connected to the main trunk. They usually have to work on/install equipment between this part of the pipe and your house in order to set a meter up. Seeing as you are being billed and it's your yard flooded, this gives you a good idea where the leak is.

 

[KK]

my buddy had one break going to his house, the bill was something like 900 dollars. I don't recall if they made him pay a certain percentage or if the looked at his history and billed him for what his average was. I believe his leak was on his side too, so he lucked out with them cutting him a break. I know he was responsible for getting it fixed.

 

[skyking]

The water service from the meter to your home is your responsibility to repair, and the most common leak.
I've repaired/replaced dozens of them.
It sounds like the line has failed somewhere in there.

 

[Eli]

Yep, go shut your water off and get the phone book out.

 

[NoShangriLa]

Shutoff all sprinkler zones & in house water valves, then check the water meter. If the meter indicated that water still flowing, then there is a leak in the supply line between the meter and house. If meter is not flowing then it indicated that the sprinkler is the culprit.

Shutoff water main at meter if there is a leak in the main supply line and wait a few hours (could be a day or 2) to let the water drain away. Look for mushy wet spot & dig (may need to turn water on briefly to assist in spotting the broken pipe).

Call a plumber if you aren't capable of doing the repair.

 

[Scarpozzi]

You'll be better off just replacing the whole line.

Chances are, either a coupler failed somewhere on the line or a root has caused damage to the line somewhere. It will probably be easier to replace the whole line than to try to locate the leak. Just look at this as an investment. You can do it yourself for cheap and know that the work was done right or pay someone that guarantees their work for a set period of time...

I would expect the work to be at least $400-500.

 

[NoShangriLa]

Originally posted by: Scarpozzi
You'll be better off just replacing the whole line.

Chances are, either a coupler failed somewhere on the line or a root has caused damage to the line somewhere. It will probably be easier to replace the whole line than to try to locate the leak. Just look at this as an investment. You can do it yourself for cheap and know that the work was done right or pay someone that guarantees their work for a set period of time...

I would expect the work to be at least $400-500.

Yeah Riiiiight!

Depends on the age of the house, but main water supply line can be iron, PEX, or copper.

3/4-1 inch soft copper is the most common, and most line is a continuous line with out a coupling till it is inside the wall of the house. Silver solder must be use if there there is a junction in the line. Silver solder is harder to melt & work with, and will require better/hotter torch than the run of the mill hardware store special. Philmac & Muller couplings can be use under ground, but it is subject to the local code (most local building code do not allow P & M fittings under ground, and most plumber stay away from mechanical fittings when bury).

 

[SagaLore]

I think I located the leak. I had the water shutoff and started digging. But I can't find pipe, which means it must have been buried DEEP. I'll have to get someone else to do this... I just had them come back and turn the water on so I can verify I got the right spot. I dug the hold a foot and half deep, and found a hole that went down past my elbow and still no pipe...

 

[NoShangriLa]

Originally posted by: SagaLore
I think I located the leak. I had the water shutoff and started digging. But I can't find pipe, which means it must have been buried DEEP. I'll have to get someone else to do this... I just had them come back and turn the water on so I can verify I got the right spot. I dug the hold a foot and half deep, and found a hole that went down past my elbow and still no pipe...

It depends on the grade & local codes. Most code call for 2 feet below grade and/or greater than frost line (just imaging how deep it would be if you were living in Alaska).

Check your basement/craw space floor and the pipe should be between that grade & street meter/valve depth. Insert the handle of the shovel into the hole till it hit bottom, and that should give you a good indication of the depth of the pipe.

The ground should be soft & easy to dig. Excavating now while it is easy is going to save you money, because the plumber wouldn't have to do it them self (many plumber hate digging, therefore they will charge a high price for it).

 

[olds]

The leak may not always be where the water is coming up. Water and electricity are like Lifers, they always take the path of least resistance.

 

[0roo0roo]

yea shutoff is generally at the street/sidewalk area. you have to use some kind of T bar looking tool to turn the valve off. i guess you just called them. its only a half turn from on to off so don't break it of course. the tool is like ~10-15 bux at lowes. good to have. we had a pex pipe burst the same way as well, but it was only about 2.5 feet down and i did most of the digging myself i watched the plumber and its just freaky glue together plastic piping.