How to find a hidden water leak in a Newberry County home

Start at the meter

The EPA's WaterSense program suggests a simple check: write down the meter reading, use no water at all for two hours, then read it again. If the number moved, water is going somewhere. Many meters also have a small triangle or dial that spins with even a trickle, which gives you an answer in a few minutes.

A second clue is your winter bill. The EPA says a family of four using more than 12,000 gallons in a cold month, when nobody is watering the lawn, probably has a serious leak.

Is it before or after the meter?

In the City of Newberry, the city owns and maintains the service line from the water main to the meter; everything from the meter to the house is the owner's. If the ground is soggy at the meter box or between the street and the meter, call City of Newberry Utilities at 803-321-1018 (803-276-0311 after hours). In unincorporated areas served by the Newberry County Water & Sewer Authority, call the Authority. A wet line between the meter and the house is a job for a plumber.

Check the usual suspects

• Toilets. Put a few drops of food coloring in the tank. If color shows in the bowl within 10 minutes without flushing, the flapper is leaking. Fix a running toilet.
• Faucets and showerheads. The EPA says a faucet dripping once a second wastes more than 3,000 gallons a year.
• Outside. Hose bibs, the hose washer, and irrigation lines and backflow devices, especially after a cold snap.
• Water heater. Look for water in the pan or a relief-valve line that keeps dripping.
• Under the house. In a crawl space, look for wet insulation, puddles or a drip line under the bathroom and kitchen.

When to call a plumber

If the meter still moves with every fixture off and you cannot see anything, a plumber can isolate sections of the system or use listening and thermal tools to find it. A leak inside a wall or under a slab is not a weekend project. Slab and crawl space leaks.

Insurance

Policies usually treat water that escapes suddenly differently from a slow leak that went on for months. If a hidden leak has already damaged floors or walls, photograph it before repairs. Sudden vs gradual damage.