Finding a sprinkler leak in Georgetown

A sprinkler leak in Georgetown usually shows up as a patch of lawn that stays soggy between watering days, a water bill that keeps climbing, or a zone that keeps trickling after the system shuts off. Small leaks are easy to miss and expensive to ignore. Here is how to confirm you have one, where it is likely hiding, and when to call someone.

How much water does a small sprinkler leak waste?

More than most people guess. The EPA's WaterSense program says an irrigation system with a leak 1/32nd of an inch across, about the thickness of a dime, can waste about 6,300 gallons of water per month. The City of Georgetown's conservation page repeats that figure and adds that a single broken sprinkler head can waste up to 25,000 gallons in six months.

It also costs more here than it used to. The city notes that Georgetown water rates went up Oct. 1, 2024, and that penalty fees for not following the watering schedule climb after a first courtesy warning. A leak that keeps water running at the wrong hours works against you on both counts.

How do you know if your sprinkler system is leaking?

Start with the water meter, because it tells you whether there is a leak before you go looking for one. EPA WaterSense's Fix a Leak Week guidance is to read the meter before and after a two-hour period when no water is being used. If the meter moves at all, you probably have a leak somewhere on the property.

The bill is the second check. The EPA says a family of four using more than 12,000 gallons in a cooler month like January or February could have serious leaks. In winter the sprinklers should be mostly off, so a high winter bill is worth a closer look.

Where do sprinkler leaks usually hide?

Most sprinkler leaks sit in one of four places. EPA WaterSense's Sprinkler Spruce-Up guide walks through each one:

• Underground pipe: between watering cycles, water pooling on the surface of the lawn could be a sign of an underground leak.
• Valves that will not close: check the connections inside the valve boxes. If a valve cannot close completely, the EPA says the system can slowly seep water even when it is turned off.
• Joints at the heads: leaks often form where a sprinkler meets the pipe. The EPA notes leaking joints can also point to water pressure that is too high or particles in the water.
• Broken heads: missing or broken heads are hard to spot because most systems run overnight or early in the morning, and running a zone with a broken head can flood that part of the yard.

How do you check each zone without breaking the watering rules?

Run each zone by hand from the controller on your watering day and walk it while it runs. Georgetown does not allow irrigation-system watering from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on any day, or on Mondays at all, according to the city water utility, so do the walk-through early in the morning or in the evening.

As you walk, look for heads that do not pop up fully or sit tilted, which the EPA lists as common problems, and water bubbling up where there is no head. The EPA's tip is to push a small flag in next to every problem you find so you can come back to each one after the zone shuts off.

Before digging anywhere, find the shutoff. Georgetown requires a backflow prevention device on every home irrigation system, and in most homes it sits by the curb in a separate box near the water meter. TCEQ rules require an isolation valve between the meter and that device, which is how the sprinkler supply gets turned off without shutting off the house.

When is a sprinkler leak a homeowner fix?

A homeowner can work on the system at their own house. The TCEQ says a homeowner is not required to be licensed to do irrigation work at their own home, as long as local requirements like backflow prevention are met. Replacing a cracked head or tightening a fitting at a head is a reasonable weekend job.

Hiring it out is different. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality says a person may not sell, design, install, maintain, alter, repair, service or inspect an irrigation system in Texas unless licensed by the TCEQ, so ask anyone you hire for irrigation repair which license they hold. The EPA also points to irrigation professionals certified by a WaterSense labeled program, who can find and correct leaks and tune the system's efficiency at the same visit.

Underground breaks, valves that will not seat, and leaks you can hear but not find are where most people stop. Those usually mean digging around buried lines and valve wiring.

Why check now instead of in spring?

Fall is a good time to find leaks because the system still runs and the grass shows wet spots plainly. The EPA's own advice is to check an in-ground system each spring for freeze damage, which means a leak found and fixed now is one less thing to chase after the first hard freeze. Homes with timer-controlled sprinklers already use about 50 percent more water outdoors than homes without them, per the EPA, so a leak on top of that adds up fast.

Our irrigation maintenance visits inspect each zone and head, repair what is broken and adjust coverage for the season, for homes across Georgetown and nearby towns.

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