Water Leak Check

If you suspect you have a leak, the recommended thing to do is to contact a plumber. If you feel this is not necessary perhaps your landlord, realtor, friend, or neighbor could assist you with any repairs you feel are necessary.

Leaks Inside the Home

If you suspect that you have a water leak, start inside of your house first. Remember, if you open the meter box, that you shut and close all lids.

Simple Steps to Identify a Leak Inside the Home

  1. First, do not turn off the valve in the meter box!
  2. Locate the meter that supplies your home. Observe to see if the red sweep hand is moving, or if your meter is equipped with a small black triangle (this is a low flow indicator), check to see if it is turning. If so, you have a leak and water is running through the meter.
  3. If you have a shut off valve that isolates the house from the yard line, turn it off, then check the meter. If it continues to run, the leak could be located in the yard line. If it stops, the leak is located in the house.
  4. The next step is to isolate different fixtures or outlets you suspect could be leaking in the home (Example: toilets, hot water tank, basin).
  5. Turn these fixtures off, then recheck the meter to see if it is still running.
  6. If the meter is still running after isolating different fixtures in the house, it is possible the leak is under the house.


Leaks Between the Meter and the House

If the test to check for leaks inside the house yields nothing, follow these steps to test if the leak is between the meter and the house.

Simple Steps to Identify a Leak Between the Meter & the House

  1. Locate your meter, remove the lid, and note the current meter reading.
  2. Do not use any water in your home for 3 to 4 hours.
  3. After the elapsed time, check the meter again and note the new current reading.
  4. If the numbers have changed, subtract the first reading from the second to see how much water you lost during the test.

This test can also be done in a 10 to 12 hour time frame when no one will be home to use the water. Should a leak be apparent, look for a wet spot on the ground between the meter and your home to pinpoint the leak location.


Toilet Leak Test

There is also a simple dye test you can do to see if a toilet is running. This test is designed to show whether or not the flapper is seated correctly. Food coloring or flavored drink mix can be used for this test.

Simple Steps to Identify a Toilet Leak

Please use red, green, or blue food coloring or flavored drink mix.

  1. Remove the lid off the back of the toilet.
  2. If you use cleaning tablets in your commode tank, remove them and flush the water until clear.
  3. Put the food coloring or flavored drink mix in the back of the tank.
  4. Do not flush the toilet. Let it sit several hours or overnight.
  5. If the color appears in the toilet bowl by itself, or if the tank and the bowl have flushed themselves clear, the flapper is not sealing and will need to be replaced.
  6. If all of the color is still in the tank, the flapper is sealing properly.


Contact Information

For more information on water leaks tests, contact the Fayetteville Water and Sewer Maintenance Department at 479-575-8386. Do not turn valve off in meter box. If you should damage this valve, you could be responsible for the cost of repair or replacement. If you need to have an emergency turnoff of your water, call the Fayetteville Call Center at 479-521-7700.

For after hours emergencies, call Fayetteville Police Central Dispatch at 479-587-3555, option 1.