Field notes
How can I tell if my sprinkler system is leaking?
Look for a soggy or extra-green spot, a water bill that jumps without a reason, a zone with weak spray, or water bubbling from a head after the system shuts off. Your water meter can confirm it.
Most sprinkler leaks are underground, so they show up as symptoms before you ever see water. The signs to watch for:
- A soggy or extra-green spot that stays wet days after watering, often over a buried line or near a valve box.
- A water bill that jumps with no change in how you water.
- One zone with weak spray while the others look normal. A broken pipe on that zone lets pressure escape.
- Water bubbling from a low head after the system shuts off. That’s often a valve that doesn’t close all the way.
- Water in the valve box when nothing is running.
How to confirm it with your meter: turn off every faucet and the irrigation system, then find your water meter. Most meters have a small triangle or dial that spins when any water is moving. If it spins with everything off, water is leaking somewhere. If it stops when you turn off the irrigation shutoff valve, the leak is on the sprinkler side.
A leak on clay soil can also soften the ground under a sidewalk or slab, so it’s worth fixing quickly. We find the leak, repair the line or valve, and run every zone afterward to make sure the system holds pressure.