Your Water Bill Spiked? How to Find a Hidden Leak Before It Gets Worse

A water bill that doubles with no change in habits is almost always a leak. The question is where. Most hidden leaks in a Marietta home are in one of three places, and you can narrow it down without opening a wall.

Start at the meter

Find your water meter, make sure no water is running anywhere in the house, and watch the dial. If it's moving, water is leaving the system. If your meter has a small leak indicator (often a triangle or a plus sign), even a slow spin means a leak is active right now.

The two-minute toilet test

Toilets are the #1 silent leak. Put a few drops of food coloring in the tank, wait 10 minutes without flushing, and check the bowl. If color shows up in the bowl, the flapper is leaking into the drain. It's quiet, constant, and can add hundreds of gallons a day.

The other usual suspects

• A slab leak. A warm spot on the floor, the sound of running water when nothing is on, or a crack that keeps returning can mean a pipe under the slab. These waste a lot of water fast.
• An irrigation leak. A broken sprinkler head or a cracked line underground runs only on its cycle, so it's easy to miss. Check each zone while it runs for geyser or soggy patches.
• A failing supply line. A braided supply line under a sink or behind a toilet can develop a pinhole. Look for soft cabinet floors or faint mineral stains at the connection.

When to call us

If the meter is moving but you can't find the source, or if you suspect a slab leak, don't start cutting open walls. We use pressure testing and targeted tracing to pinpoint hidden leaks before we open anything, then quote the repair. We serve Marietta and the surrounding Cobb County area.

Bill looking high? Call (770) 508-6073 or request a quote.