A leak is an emergency when water will not stop
If water is pooling on a floor, dripping from a ceiling or soaking a yard with no rain, call the 24/7 emergency line now. Emergency leak detection in Suwanee, GA runs at night and on weekends, and same-day appointments are offered when the schedule allows.
While you wait, shut off the main valve at the house and keep everyone away from wet areas near outlets, light fixtures and the electrical panel. A leak that is stopped at the valve is easier to find than one that keeps feeding water into the same spot.
Leak detection is the process of locating a leak without opening walls, floors or the yard at random. The aim is to name one spot, so any repair opens one hole instead of five.
- Close the main shut-off valve, usually where the water line enters the house, often in a garage, basement or utility room.
- Turn off the water heater breaker or gas control if water is near the tank or the floor around it is flooded.
- Move rugs, boxes and electronics off wet floors and photograph the damage before cleanup.
- Do not cut into drywall or flooring to chase the sound. A small hole can hide where the water really started.
The two-hour meter test you can run before you call
Gwinnett County Water Resources publishes a simple test that tells you whether water is leaving the house when nobody is using it. It takes two hours and a flashlight, and it answers the first question every leak call starts with.
Stop every use of water
Turn off the washing machine, dishwasher and ice maker, and make sure no one flushes or runs a tap. A single running toilet will fool the test.
Find the meter
It is usually in the front yard under a metal cover. Lift the lid with a screwdriver and watch for insects.
Read it and look at the leak wheel
Write down the number. The small leak detection wheel on the face should sit still, and so should the needle.
Wait two hours, then read again
If the number moved, or the wheel kept turning, water is going somewhere. The county says nothing on the meter should be moving when you are not using water inside or outside.
Close the house valve and check again
If the meter stops once the house main is closed, the leak is inside. If it keeps moving, the loss is between the meter and the house.
Signs of a hidden leak, in the words people use
Most leaks give hints weeks before a stain shows. These are the ones callers describe most.
The water bill keeps creeping up
A bill that rises month after month with the same household is the classic slow leak. Gwinnett County Water Resources notes that high bills are often caused by a leak inside or outside the home.
The meter is running with the water off
This is the meter test failing. It points to a leak somewhere past the meter, and the house-valve step tells you which side.
A soggy or unusually green patch in the yard
The county suggests walking the yard for soggy areas when you suspect an underground leak. A strip of grass that stays wet between the meter and the house is a strong hint.
Hissing or trickling in a wall
Quiet rooms at night make pressurized leaks audible. Listen near the water heater and under sinks.
Warm spots, damp baseboards or musty smells
A warm floor patch can mean a hot line leaking below the surface. Musty air near a wall points to moisture that has been there a while.
High water bill or spinning meter: where the water is going
A bill is a total, so the first job is to sort leaks by location. One gallon per minute lost is 1,440 gallons a day with no puddle in sight.
Inside the house
Toilets are the most common source. Gwinnett County Water Resources says a faulty flapper is most often the cause and that a constantly running toilet can waste 200 gallons or more a day. The dye test is one teaspoon of food coloring in the tank, no flush for 30 minutes, then a look at the bowl.
Water heater relief valves, supply lines under sinks and ice-maker tubing come next. If you are fixing a fixture, the toilet repair page covers the flapper and fill valve in more detail.
Between the meter and the house
If the meter keeps moving after the house valve is closed, the loss is in the buried line. That line is your responsibility, and finding the exact spot in soil takes listening equipment, not a shovel.
The water line repair page explains what happens once the leak is located and how repair compares with replacement.
How leaks get located without tearing things up
The technician picks a method from the symptoms. No single tool finds every leak, which is why several are used together.
| Method | What it finds | Limit |
|---|---|---|
| Meter and house-valve test | Which side of the house the leak is on | Says nothing about the exact spot |
| Dye test in the tank | Silent toilet flapper leaks | Only checks toilets |
| Acoustic listening | The hiss of pressurized water in pipes and slab | Background noise can mask a small leak |
| Thermal imaging and moisture meters | Wet or warm areas behind walls and under floors | Shows moisture, which may have traveled from the source |
| Pressure test on an isolated section | Whether a specific run holds pressure | Needs the section shut off at both ends |
| Tracer gas | Leaks listening cannot pin down | Needs a line that can be filled and sealed |
A method that finds moisture is not a method that finds the leak. The wet spot and the break can be several feet apart.
Who fixes what on each side of the meter
Gwinnett County Water Resources maintains the water main, the small pipe from the main to your meter, and the meter itself. Everything on your side of the meter is yours, including the water service line, backflow preventer and the plumbing in the house.
The county does not repair leaks on the customer side, and its staff are not permitted to work on private property or test for leaks on it. If your leak is on your side, a private plumber is the only route to a fix.
If you see water bubbling up at the meter box itself, or flowing from the street side, the county runs a 24/7 dispatch line for water emergencies at 678.376.7000. Call them for the county side, and call us for the private line.
What changes the price of finding a leak
Locating a leak is not the same job as repairing it. You hear the price for the detection visit before work starts, and a separate price for repair once the cause is known.
How many tools are needed
A clear toilet or valve problem needs less than a leak that must be traced through a wall and slab.
Where the leak is
Exposed supply lines are quick to check. Lines under concrete or deep in the yard take more time and equipment.
Access
A crawlspace or open basement is easier than a finished ceiling or a floor with tile on top.
How much has to be opened afterward
A pinpointed leak needs a small opening. A vague location can mean a bigger one.
Time of day
If water is actively flowing after hours, the visit is an emergency call, and that can be priced differently from a scheduled search.
Home insurance usually covers sudden accidental water damage, but the cost of finding a leak and repairing a worn pipe is often excluded. Gradual leaks that go unreported are the ones insurers question most. Read your policy and ask your agent before a claim, not during one.
Want your real number?
Describe the job on the phone and get a clear price before any work starts.
Keeping the paperwork for a bill adjustment
Gwinnett County Water Resources has described a leak adjustment for eligible water and sewer accounts. Its customer FAQ lists a limit of one adjustment in twelve months, a requirement that the repair be made within three months of the increased use, and a request deadline of three months after the repair.
That wording dates from 2019, so call Customer Care at 678.376.6800 for the current terms before relying on it. Whatever the rules are now, keep the plumber invoice. The county form asks for proof of repair.
Related work after a leak is found
A leak under a floor of poured concrete moves into slab leak repair, and a split in a pressurized line during cold weather is a burst pipe job. Homeowners in Lawrenceville can call the same emergency number, and the two-hour meter test works at any home with a water meter.
According to the Gwinnett County Water Resources leak guidance, nothing on the meter should be moving when no water is being used inside or outside the home, and the county suggests a two hour no-use test with a reading before and after. The county also says its employees cannot test for leaks on private property, which is where a leak detection visit fits.
Leak detection questions
Yes. Yes, the 24/7 line takes active-leak calls at any hour, including weekends and holidays. Shut off the main valve, keep people away from wet electrical areas, and call.
Turn off every water use in the house, read the meter, wait two hours and read it again. The leak wheel and needle should be still. If they moved, close the house main and check again to see which side of the house the leak is on.
Check toilets with a dye tablet first, then run the meter test. Gwinnett County Water Resources lists leaks inside or outside the home as a common cause of high bills, and many are silent.
Detection starts with listening and testing, not digging. The aim is to name one spot first, and digging happens only after the location is confirmed.
No. Gwinnett County says it is not responsible for repairs on the customer side of the meter and its employees cannot work on private property. A private plumber handles that side.