A broken sprinkler head or cracked lateral line can run every cycle without you noticing. Until the water bill arrives. We test each zone, listen for underground flow, and find the broken head, cracked pipe, or stuck valve. Most irrigation leaks are found in a single visit. Call (123) 456-7890.
Where irrigation leaks hide
Sprinkler systems fail in predictable places: cracked lateral lines from soil movement, broken heads from mowers and foot traffic, valves stuck open that run a zone all night, and fittings that split after years of pressure cycling. The tricky part is that the wet spot in the lawn is rarely directly above the break. Water travels along the trench before it surfaces.
Zone-by-zone testing
We run the system the way a technician would, not the way a timer does:
- Isolate each zone and watch the meter to find which zone is losing water.
- Listen along the lateral lines for the sound of flow where no head should be running.
- Check valves and backflow devices for seepage and stuck-open operation.
Once the faulty zone is identified, we walk it to the exact head, crack, or valve.
Why it matters for your bill
An irrigation leak does not drip. It runs on a schedule, which makes it one of the fastest ways to waste water. A single stuck valve can run a whole zone for hours every cycle. Finding it early is usually the difference between a normal bill and a shocking one, and most fixes are small once the location is known. We mark the exact head, crack, or valve so the repair crew fixes it in one trip.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if my sprinkler system has a leak?
Soggy spots that never dry, a zone with weak pressure while others are fine, water pooling near valves, or a bill that jumped during watering season. The meter test per zone confirms it: run one zone at a time and watch for unusual meter movement.
Can you find a leak in a buried lateral line?
Yes. We isolate the zone, then use acoustic listening along the line's path to find where water is escaping underground. The wet spot on the surface is a clue, but the listening equipment finds the actual break.
Do you repair the sprinkler heads and pipes too?
We locate the exact failure. Broken head, cracked lateral, or faulty valve, and mark it. From there the repair is straightforward because nobody is digging up the whole zone to look.
My irrigation runs at night. How would I even notice a leak?
Most people notice it on the bill first, or as a soggy area that never dries. If your bill climbs every summer without watering more, a zone-by-zone check is worth doing before the next cycle.
How long does irrigation leak detection take?
Most residential systems are tested zone by zone in a single visit. Larger properties with many zones take longer, but each zone is still checked individually so nothing is missed.
Related
- Sacramento Leak Detection Services
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Think you have a leak?
Call AquaTrace Leak Detection to describe what you are seeing in Citrus Heights and get a plan to find it.
Call (123) 456-7890Last updated: October 25, 2026.