Recently I was struggling to maintain weeds and an annoying bush trimmed down to size on one side of my house. As I was working, I realized I was stepping in a perpetually soggy part of my yard beneath a bedroom window. I thought I had spilled a bucket of water, but it lasted and even grew within a few days. By the end of the week, I called and got a minor pinhole leak fixed for a fraction of the cost of what a major repair devastation would have cost. Knowing the telltale sign of a hidden underground leak on your property can save you thousands or even tens of thousands of dollars in repairs and wasted water on your bill. This is especially important in the weeks and months following a major winter event like the one we had here just 4 months ago. In my case, a $60 diagnostic visit by a licensed plumber saved me lots of headache down the line. It was a minor enough leak that I ended up paying a couple of hundred dollars less than what the bottom end of the original quote was.
Unusually Green or Soggy Patch of Yard
The giveaway sign for my recent underground leak was a small patch of my garden that got lush and green suddenly and inexplicably. The hose and outdoor hose bib are on the other side of the house, yet this mosquito magnet kept growing. I didn’t need to dig down very far at all before recognizing I should call a plumber. Once the pavers and soil on top of the water pipe are removed and the pressure alleviates, the leak would become worse. Unless you are prepared with a water key and the ability to fix a leak, call a licensed plumber before continuing.
Steady or Sudden Increase in Water Bills
Most of us homeowners must watch our budgets and pay attention to our bills. Luckily, the city of Dallas sends its customers a handy graph of the last twelve months’ usage, along with an average. Multiple online tools and FAQs allow customers to calculate usage and cost (Click here to visit the City of Dallas Water Utilities page). If your city doesn’t automatically provide you with this type of information, use a spreadsheet to graph your water usage over time. Break it down and include gallon usage, sewer, sanitation costs, not just final price. This will allow you to separate a price increase made by the city or a sudden usage increase on your part.
Moving Water Meter
Your water meter should be still unless you are running a faucet or appliance. The meter could be moving slowly enough that you can’t detect it unless you check it again a couple of hours later. A moving meter means there is a leak somewhere, anywhere, between the meter and the endpoints inside your house. While not necessarily an underground leak, the source of the leak should be found and remediated as soon as possible. If your water meter is still for multiple hours yet you have some of the signs in this article, you could be dealing with a leak from a different source such a pool or sewer.
Change in Water Pressure
The majority of a water pressure change would be a noticeable drop in pressure throughout the house. A gradual drop in pressure, although less common, might be particularly noticeable when running multiple appliances. Every once in a while, a sign of an underground leak would also include sputtering, or even sudden surges in pressure that come and go. This is due to air or other contaminates entering the pipe and blocking constant flow, which brings us to the next sign of a hidden underground leak.
Dirty or Rusty Water
You might not notice right away that your drinking water is dirtier than it should be. Pay attention to how quickly your bathtub or shower develops dark grey or brown rings. Dirty or rusty water could be an indication of other things besides a hidden underground leak. Either way, have it diagnosed by a licensed plumber before the problem accelerates. A more advanced sign of a hidden underground leak can be visibly cloudy or water that is a different color.
Musty Odor
The smell of mildew is often the first sign of a leak. If a leak is underground, a musty smell will usually be present long before mold is visually detected. Regularly checking for musty odors underneath sinks, in laundry rooms, and behind large appliances is recommended. Make it part of your Homeowner Quarterly Maintenance to pull water-using appliances such as your washing machine and dishwasher away from the wall to clean underneath and behind, while checking for leaks or pests as well. The leaky washing machine above went unnoticed until a new washing machine was going to be installed and the old one pulled away. An odor in a laundry room might go unnoticed if you use fragrant detergents. Sometimes a musty odor is a minor appliance leak, like behind a refrigerator’s water dispenser, or even condensation, like a faulty freezer in a hot garage. Have all leaks and malfunctions diagnosed by a licensed appliance technician as soon as a leak is detected.
Mold or Mildew
Mildew alone is not a cause for concern, especially in showers or heavily used laundry rooms. An adequate cleaning routine includes a disinfectant, such as bleach, to clean surfaces of mildew and kill mold spores. But if you find yourself having to do this more often than before, or in places where it was not, you could have a hidden leak. Finding mold or mildew building up on an exterior wall, for example, could indicate a hidden water leak in the area below that part of the house. It could also indicate a hidden leak in plumbing if there is upstairs plumbing or an exterior-facing faucet.
Sounds of Water
A constant sound of dripping or flowing water is a sure sign of a leak somewhere. Tiny leaks might not always be audible, especially if they are buried underneath pavers and soil like mine was. A pinhole leak in a crawlspace might be easier to visually spot than hear. Turning off the AC and all appliances and really listening to your house should be part of your quarterly home care routine.
Damaged Flooring
A telltale sign of a hidden underground leak beneath your home is damped or damaged flooring. Wooden floors absorb moisture and begin to warp and buckle. Carpets and rugs maintain moisture as well and begin to smell or even feel damp. Problems arising from slab foundation shifting can contribute to underground water leaks, so pay attention to any signs of floor movement and monitor those areas. This brings us to the final and perhaps most advanced sign of a hidden leak.
Damaged Foundation or Siding
A major and steady leak that has gone unattended long enough can cause part of your house to sink below the rest. If the leak is directly beneath the house, it can cause a sinkhole which hollows out the space directly underneath the house. Water seepage in a crawlspace, basement, or beneath a slab foundation can bring a catastrophic end to a home. Have any uneven floors or signs of foundation problems checked out. Signs on your siding can include crumbling bricks, warping vinyl siding, rusting metal siding or windows, or detached siding as in the picture above. Water penetrated the wood underneath the siding, causing it to swell and pull away from the wall. Damages from within the home can include peeling wallpaper or paint, crumbling or moist drywall, or dirty water spots where there isn't a leak.
Get it Fixed!
In conclusion, signs and symptoms of a hidden leak should never be ignored. Remember that a lot of home insurance do not cover water damage, so a small repair and minor inconvenience now can save your biggest investment from major damage. I recommend Cody & Sons Plumbing, Heating & Air, which has been servicing the Dallas area since 1969.
Does your city offer Leak Adjustments?
One final note: The city of Dallas Water Utilities offers its customers a billing adjustment based on recent leak repairs. Check your water bill to see if there is information on your municipality’s water policies, or to see what programs are available in your area.
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