Helpful Resources
Water Leak Detection and Repair
Checking for Water Leaks
Leaks are a common cause of higher than normal / expected water bills. They can occur anywhere along the water line—from the underground portion between the meter and your home, somewhere inside your home, or even an outdoor faucet. One of the best tools to check for a leak is your water meter. Here's how:​
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Make sure no water is turned on inside or outside.
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Check your water meter. Your meter screen is activated by sunlight or flashlight. The screen will flash between the "Reading" and "Rate" screens.
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The "Reading" is all water that has passed through the meter in its lifetime – measured in cubic feet. This is the reading used for billing purposes, except that the District bills in hundred cubic feet (we move the decimal point 2 digits to the left). You can calculate how much water is used in a given period by recording the reading at the beginning of the period and at the end of the period.
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The "Rate" is the amount of water (in gal /min) that is passing thru the meter at that moment. The "Rate" can be used for leak detection: if all water in the house is shut off and a rate is observed, this means that water is flowing through the meter. Since all water is shut off, there must be leaking somewhere in your system.
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There is a leak indictor faucet icon built into your meter that will either be flashing or on continuously if a leak has been detected. The flashing faucet indicates an intermittent leak occurrence over the past 24 hrs. The solid faucet indicates a continuous leak occurrence over the last 24 hours. Check the last digit on your screen to see if it is incrementing.
Responsibility of Leaks
The District is responsible for the cost of locating and repairing any leaks that occur in our water main (the large distribution pipe under the street), in the utility-owned pipe between our water main and your meter box, and with the meter box itself.​
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The customer is responsible for the cost of locating and repairing any leaks that occur in the service line between the meter box and their residence or business, as well as those found inside the residence or business, including plumbing lines in the walls, or fixtures such as a toilet or indoor/outdoor faucet.
However if the leak is found in your service line (the line between the water meter and your home or business), you may qualify for a leak adjustment credit, if the line has been repaired or replaced within 60 days from the the time you detect the leak, or receive a notice from the District. Call us to learn more at (425) 235-9200.
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After you have determined that you have a leak, the next step is to determine if the leak is inside or outside of your house.
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Locate your home's main shut off valve and shut off the water at the valve. Typically, you will find the shut off valve in the basement or garage directly behind an outdoor faucet, or outside below an outdoor faucet.
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Again, check the leak indicator or use the meter reading method, making sure not to use any water during this period. If the leak indicator stops moving or there is no change in the meter readings, then you have a leak inside of the house. If the leak indicator continues to move or there is a change in the meter readings, then the leak is outside between the meter and the house.
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