| "Seriously, older homes have galvanized steel lines that may rust and leak slowly, or break completely and send water up to the surface." "Newer homes can have copper or plastic pipe (polyethylene, PVC) that may split lengthwise or fail at connections. The utility owns and is responsible for the pipe up to and including the meter, and you own the rest from the meter to the house." "Digging down into the slop (dirt and leaves are often dumped into the cavity to protect against freezing), you will see the main body of the meter and its hinged cover protecting the glass dial. Turn off everything, including the main valve inside the house (if it has one). To verify that the pipe serving the house is leaking (if this not obvious), watch the dials for movement. If any of these very sensitive dials turns, even slowly, water is passing through the meter." "If you don't have a shutoff valve inside, you probably have a toilet flush valve leak. Turn off the toilet valves and see whether this changes the meter movement. (Slow movement is probably not a failed service pipe, but rather something inside.)" "If you have a line leak, turn the water off at the meter's valve. The valve is on the body of the meter. Turn the handle clockwise with a wrench so the tangs align." "A large part of the cost of replacing a water line is in the digging and damage to landscape. You will save money if you can do this part of the project yourself." "The water line will be 18-36 inches down. Dig at the obvious point of leakage first. Be aware that many damaged pipes are not worthy of repair." "A plumber can advise you on how to precisely locate a leak and how to proceed with repairs." " I started seeing a very thin oily residue in my yard after the recent heavy rains. Did I strike oil, or am I seeing something from my heating-oil tank or maybe even a neighbor's tank? I live in Seattle." "
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