Leak Detection & Slab Leak Repair in St. George, UT

Start with the meter

The City of St. George suggests a simple test: turn off all water inside and outside the home, including ice makers, washers and irrigation, then watch the water meter, which is often near the property line or in the driveway. If it is still turning, you have a leak (City of St. George Water Services, Collection and Distribution (FAQ)). Most meters also have a small triangle or dial that spins with even a slow leak. The guide to finding your shut-off and checking for leaks walks through it step by step.

If the meter moves, close the main shut-off at the house. If the meter stops, the leak is inside the house. If it keeps moving with the house valve closed, the leak is probably in the service line between the meter and the house, or in an irrigation line tied in before the house valve.

Slab leaks

Most St. George homes are built on concrete slabs, with supply lines running under or through the floor. A leak there can run for weeks before anyone notices. Signs include:

• a warm spot on the floor (a hot-water line leak),
• the sound of running water with nothing on,
• damp or lifting flooring, or a musty smell along a baseboard,
• cracks in tile or slab that seem new,
• a water heater that runs more than it used to, or
• a sudden rise in the water bill.

Local ground can make things harder on buried pipe. The Utah Geological Survey identifies expansive soil and rock as the most troublesome construction condition in the St. George-Hurricane area and also maps collapsible and gypsum-bearing soils (Utah Geological Survey, Geologic-Hazard Maps for the St. George-Hurricane Area). Movement in the soil and slab can stress pipe joints. Hard water, high pressure and corrosion of older copper add to the risk.

How hidden leaks are found

1. Isolate. Testing the hot and cold sides separately tells you which system is leaking.
2. Pressure test. Gauges confirm whether a section is losing pressure.
3. Listen and look. Acoustic equipment picks up the sound of water escaping under concrete, and thermal imaging can show warm water lines in a slab.
4. Mark and confirm the most likely spot before any concrete is opened.

Repair options

• Spot repair: open the slab at the leak, repair the pipe and patch. Best when the pipe is otherwise in good shape.
• Reroute: abandon the leaking line under the slab and run a new line through walls or the attic. Often less disruptive than breaking floors, and the new line is easier to reach later.
• Repipe: when leaks keep happening, replacing the supply piping may cost less over time than repeated repairs. See repiping.

Ask how the floor will be restored if the slab is opened, and whether your homeowner's policy covers access and repair. Policies vary.

Leaks you can see

• Toilets: the city notes toilets can lose up to 100 gallons a day and suggests a food-coloring test: add a few drops to the tank, wait 15 to 20 minutes without flushing, and see whether color appears in the bowl (City of St. George Water Services, Collection and Distribution (FAQ)). Usually it is the flapper.
• Faucets and hose bibs: worn cartridges and washers, often sped up by scale.
• Supply lines and angle stops under sinks and behind toilets, especially older plastic lines.
• Irrigation: wet or soft spots in the yard, or heads that leak with the system off.
• Water heater relief valves and drain valves.

The EPA estimates household leaks can waste nearly 10,000 gallons a year in the average home, and that 10 percent of homes have leaks wasting 90 gallons or more a day (EPA WaterSense, Statistics and Facts). In a desert county that watches every gallon, it is worth fixing.

Related guides

• How to Find Your Water Shut-Off and Check for Leaks in a St. George Home
• Protecting Your Pipes on Freezing Nights in St. George

Sources: City of St. George Water Services, Collection and Distribution (FAQ); Utah Geological Survey, Geologic-Hazard Maps for the St. George-Hurricane Area; EPA WaterSense, Fix a Leak Week; EPA WaterSense, Statistics and Facts.