If you have noticed unusually high water bills this summer for no apparent reason, you may have a leaky water line. A high water bill is usually the first sign of a leaky water service line. Check along the route where the water line is buried to see if you have a soft or damp spot in the yard. If so, that is the likely spot for the leak.
You can confirm a leaking water line by turning off the water where it enters the house and check the meter reading at the curb. Check the meter again in an hour or two. If the reading has changed, then your water service line is leaking.
Repairing a water service line involves finding the leak, digging up the pipe at the source of the leak, repairing the pipe, then filling the hole back in. Some homeowners may have the skills necessary to do the job, but for most a water line repair is a job for your plumber.
Before you try to tackle a water line repair yourself, see what kind of pipe you are dealing with. You can check where the water line is connected to the meter or where it enters your home, but keep in mind that sometimes copper pipe is used for a few feet where the water line enters the house and some other type of pipe is used for the rest of the water line.
If your water line is polybutylene or galvanized steel, you are probably better off replacing the entire line rather than trying to repair it. Galvanized steel water lines corrode from the inside out and if yours is leaking in one location, it won’t be long before it starts leaking somewhere else. Likewise, polybutylene pipe is notorious for becoming brittle and failing after about 10 to 15 years. If your polybutylene water line is leaking, replace the whole line with copper or PVC pipe.
