Checking for Leaks With Your Water Meter

Turn everything off

Make sure no faucets, toilets, the washer, the dishwasher, the ice maker or any sprinklers are running.

Watch the indicator

Find the meter, usually in a box near the street, and look for the small leak indicator. If it moves, water is flowing somewhere.

Inside or outside

Close the main valve at the house. If the indicator stops, the leak is inside. If it keeps moving, the leak is in the line from the meter to the house.

Test the toilets

Put a few drops of food coloring in each toilet tank and wait 15 minutes. Color in the bowl means a leaking flapper.

Look for clues

Check crawl spaces, under sinks, around the water heater and in the yard for damp spots or a musty smell.

Next step

If you can't find it, see leak repair.

Overnight test

If the indicator is hard to read, note the full meter reading at bedtime, use no water overnight and read it again in the morning. Any change means a leak somewhere.

Outdoor clues

Walk the yard along the line from the meter to the house. A strip of grass greener than the rest, ground that stays soft in dry weather or water pooling near the meter box all point to a buried leak. Note where you saw it so the plumber can start there.

Keep an eye on the bill

Compare your water bill with the same month last year. A steady rise with no change in how you use water is often the first hint of a slow leak somewhere in the system.

More plumbing guides

• Water Oaks and Your Sewer Line
• A Plumbing Checklist for Moving Into a Rental
• Finding the Main Water Valve in a Tuscaloosa Home
• Your Water Heater's Age and Size
• Hiring an Alabama Plumber