How to Find a Water Leak Underground

If you’re noticing a sudden spike in your water bill or water when there shouldn’t be, and there is no obvious answer. You might be wondering how to find the water leak, especially if you think it’s underground. There are some methods you can use to help assess the situation before you decide to call in the professionals.

What You Can Try on Your Own

Knowing where your water meter is and how to read it is crucial to understanding what’s going on with your pipes. Meters are usually found outside near the main faucet in a meter box.

A surefire way to check whether your suspicions for leaks are justified is to turn off all faucets and water-using appliances for 30-60 minutes. Make note of the water meter before and after this experiment. If there is a significant change, then a leak is the culprit.

To try and approximate the location of an underground leak, there are some signs you can look out for: sinkholes in a yard, inexplicable patches of wetness or mold or rust, or even patches of yard growing unusually fast could all be indicators for a leak. But to find the specific problem, it’s best to call an expert.

What the Professionals Can Do

There are multiple tools a professional leak detector could use. The most obvious method for discovering underground leaks is excavation. But if you’re worried about destruction to your property, you should know that technology today can minimize invasiveness. Video sewer inspection cameras can be deployed to find leaks or even for precautionary checks.