Start with a meter test
The simplest leak test needs nothing but a few minutes. Turn off every fixture and appliance that uses water — taps, toilets, irrigation, ice maker, washer. Then look at your water meter. Most meters have a small leak indicator or a sweep hand. If it keeps moving with everything off, water is going somewhere.
If you know your house shutoff and can operate it safely, observing the meter with that valve closed can help narrow down where water is flowing. A stopped meter suggests flow downstream of that valve; continued movement may involve the service line, irrigation branches or a valve that does not close fully. Do not force a stuck valve or operate the utility's meter valve. A plumber can confirm the location.
Whose side of the meter?
In general, the water provider is responsible for its mains and the meter, and the homeowner is responsible for plumbing on the house side. In Ojai, the provider is Casitas Municipal Water District, which acquired the Ojai Water System in 2017.
Casitas has written publicly that the aging mains it took over had leaks and breaks at more than three times the rate of its existing system, and it has since completed main replacement projects on a long list of Ojai streets. That's a record of the public system — useful context, not a verdict on your home's plumbing. If water is surfacing in the street or around the meter box, contact Casitas. If the meter test points to your side, that's where we come in.
Signs of a hidden leak
- A water bill that rises with no change in how you use water.
- A warm spot on a floor over a slab, which can indicate a hot water line leak.
- The sound of running water when everything is off.
- A patch of yard that stays damp or unusually green when nothing is irrigating it.
- Stains, bubbling paint or a musty smell on a wall or ceiling.
- A water heater that seems to run more often than it should.
Don't forget the obvious leaks
Before assuming something is hidden, check the common silent leaks. A toilet flapper that doesn't seal can run water constantly with no visible sign — a few drops of food coloring in the tank that show up in the bowl without flushing will tell you. Dripping faucets, irrigation valves and hose bibbs add up too.
What happens once a leak is found
Finding a leak and fixing it are two decisions. A single failed fitting is a spot repair. A slab leak may be repaired at the leak or rerouted around it. A supply system that keeps leaking in different places is a repipe conversation. We'll explain what we found and the options before any work starts.