Meter still moving with the main valve off: house or yard?

The City of Chandler spells out the logic in its leak guide: "If the leak indicator or dial is still moving, water is flowing between the meter and the shut-off valve." The same guide calls that stretch the service line, the pipe that carries water from the meter to your home.

Two ownership facts matter here. The City of Phoenix says "Issues on the city's side (from the street to the water meter) are the responsibility of the City and issues after the water meter are the responsibility of the homeowner." Chandler says the same thing from its side: "Any leaks occurring after the meter on private property are the responsibility of the homeowner." So a leak on your side of the meter is yours to fix, even though it is outside your house.

Before you chase anything, confirm the reading. A single glance can mislead, because a toilet fill or a softener cycle can move the meter for a minute or two. EPA's test is to "check your water meter before and after a two-hour period when no water is being used. If the meter changes at all, you probably have a leak." Do it once more with the valve closed, and write the numbers down.

There are four places the water can be going. Two are common, two are rare, and the order below saves the most time.

1. Irrigation, pool fill or a cooler line tapped in ahead of the valve. In many Valley homes the sprinkler or drip line tees off before the house shutoff, so closing the house valve does not stop it. Chandler notes that meter movement "can also be caused by things like an automatic pool filler, a leaky irrigation valve, or an evaporative cooler." Phoenix Water Services points at a common culprit: "Trapped sand or debris can interrupt shut-off of sprinkler valves causing continuous water flow." A valve stuck slightly open can run all day with no sprinklers visible.

2. The buried service line. A pinhole or a failed joint in the pipe between the meter and the house leaks into the ground, and you may never see it. A wet patch can stay small even when the leak is real, so look for a low, soft or unusually green strip along the line, and for a hairline crack in a slab or walkway near the entry point. Damp soil, a sunken spot in gravel and a musty smell near the front wall are all worth noting.

3. The valve itself. A worn main valve can close but not seal. That usually shows up as a meter that slows down when you close the valve but never stops. If the meter runs at the same speed before and after you close it, the water is going somewhere ahead of the valve, and the valve is not the problem.

4. The meter connections. A weeping fitting at the meter itself is a utility matter. Chandler's guide says "If you have a leak at your water meter, contact Chandler water distribution at 480-782-3700." Phoenix lists an emergency number for a leak that needs field staff to shut off your water: 602-261-8000. Elsewhere in the Valley, call your own city's water department.

You can split the suspects in about 30 minutes without digging.

1. 1Turn off the irrigation controller, then find the irrigation system's own shutoff, if it has one, and close it. Watch the meter for 10 minutes. If it stops, the leak is in the irrigation system, not the house line. Look inside each valve box for standing water. Phoenix's rule of thumb is that where there's water, there's a leak.
2. 2Rule out the automatic pool filler and the evaporative cooler. Both draw water on their own schedule, so close their supply valves and recheck.
3. 3Note whether the flow number is steady or swinging. On a digital meter, a steady number suggests a constant leak. A number that swings suggests something cycling, like a filler or a cooler float.
4. 4Walk the line. Phoenix advises: "Walk your yard. Soggy ground or sinkholes can be evidence of underground line leaks in sprinkler systems, evaporative cooling equipment, pool equipment or water main lines." Walk from the meter to the house wall slowly, in the morning before the sun bakes the surface dry.

If the meter stops at step 1 or 2, you found the source. If it keeps moving after all four, the likely answer is the buried line or the valve.

If you suspect the buried line, the next move is to confirm and locate it, not to dig.

Don't start digging. A shovel or a trencher through a live water line turns a slow leak into a flood, and other utilities can run near the same path. Our page on what to do about a broken water line in your yard covers calling 811 first and the order of steps. If you're deciding whether a wet patch is the line or the sprinklers, is a wet lawn a sign of a broken water line? walks through the difference. For a longer walk through the search, see how to find a water leak in your yard.

While you wait for a repair, the leak is still running. If water is pooling against the foundation or the ground is washing out, call your water utility and ask them to shut it off at the meter.

Still confused about where your shutoff is? Start with where the main water shutoff valve is in a Phoenix home.

A leak between the meter and the house is a hidden leak by definition. Guessing costs time and often ends with the wrong patch of yard dug up. HQ Plumbing & Air does leak detection so the break is pinpointed before anyone opens the ground, and we can tell you whether the problem is the service line, the irrigation tie-in or the valve. We're licensed and insured, we give you a free estimate, and you get the price up front before work starts. If water is flowing and you can't stop it, that's an emergency, and we're available 24/7.

Here's the short version. A meter that moves with the house valve closed rules out your fixtures. Check the irrigation and pool lines first, since they're the easy ones. Then walk the line. Whatever is left is a buried leak that needs to be found before it's fixed.