Finding a Hidden Leak With Your Water Meter
A higher water bill with no obvious drip often means water is escaping somewhere you can't see. The water meter can tell you in a few minutes.
Request a plumberTurn everything off
Make sure no faucets, toilets, the washer, the dishwasher, the ice maker or the irrigation system are running. In summer, check that no sprinkler zones are on a timer.
Watch the indicator
Most meters have a small triangle, star or dial that spins when water flows. If it's moving with everything off, water is going somewhere.
Narrow it down
Close the main shut-off at the house. If the indicator stops, the leak is inside the house. If it keeps moving, the leak may be in the line between the meter and the house, or in a yard or irrigation line.
Check toilets
Add a few drops of food coloring to each toilet tank and wait 15 minutes without flushing. Color in the bowl means the flapper is leaking.
Look outside
Soggy ground, green patches in a dry yard or water pooling near a valve box all point to an outdoor leak, common where irrigation lines run through the yard.
When to get help
If you can't find it, a plumber can trace hidden leaks. See outdoor and irrigation plumbing or emergency plumbing.
Read it twice
If the indicator is hard to see, write down the full reading, avoid using any water for an hour, then read it again. Any change means water moved while everything was off. Doing this overnight works well: read the meter at bedtime and again first thing, before anyone showers or runs a tap.
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