Signs of an Water Leak Outside Houses
Having a water leak outside houses is something that can cause confusion for people, especially with regard to understanding who is responsible (we will come on to explaining that next) but what are the signs of possible water leak outside houses?
- High Water Bill – if you have a much higher than expected water bill that can be a sign
- Water Rising from Ground – sometimes these leaks can flow out of the ground
- Uneven / Shifting Ground – possibly from water flowing underground, moving earth
- Persistent Puddles – especially if they do not dry up or remain in dry weather
- Sound of Running Water – if you hear running water outside, that can be an indicator
- Discoloured Water – this can be a sign of an outdoor leak as dirt enters the broken pipe
- Poor Water Pressure Inside – if you have noticed a significant drop in your water pressure
- Damage to your Property – in some instances, the above can cause property damage
As we regularly say on other types of water leak (and it applies to water leak outside houses) having more than one of the signs above will increase the chances of having an outdoor leak. More things from this list means more supporting evidence that a leak has occured.
This can include a leak between the water meter and house, which is not uncommon type of water leak outside houses in the UK.
Who is Responsible for Outdoor Leaks?
Once you have identified, or suspect you have a water leak outside houses in your garden or driveway, the immediate question is ‘who is responsible for outdoor leaks’. This isn’t always cut and dry, however, we have created this diagram to help give an indication of who is responsible, the property owner or the water company?
If you are confident that the water leak is the responsibility of the local water company then our guide on how to report a water leak will be handy.
As you can see from the guide above, generally, the property side of the meter (supply pipe and internal pipework) are the responsibility of the property owner, which could be the landlord if you are in rented accommodation. The other side of the meter, and usually the meter are the responsibility of the water company. This is discussed more in our guide to Water Leaking In The Street.
How to know which side Water Meter a leak is?
In some instances of water leak outside houses, it can be very clear which side of the water meter a leak is occurring. However, what if the leak is near that area of the water meter? How can you tell which side it is?
We have tools and techniques for working this out but, basically, by monitoring the flow from the meter (whilst taking other controls) you can usually see which side of the meter the water is leaking from. If there is anything that affects this, we have other methods too.
How to find a Water Leak Outside Underground
We utilise a number of techniques to find water leaks underground outside, including pipe tracing equipment, borescope inspection cameras, acoustic leak detection and more. There are also other visual signs and sounds which our trained leak detection specialist engineers will use to help find a water leak outside houses. We are constantly investing in new technology to improve our service. We pride ourselves on using the best leak detection technology and have our own bespoke equipment kits that no other leak detection companies use, they are unique to us – as is our process and reporting technology.
We work with many of the most popular insurance companies, they trust us to help their customers find water leaks as well as other water and fire damage at their customers property (including homes and businesses). We are experienced in water leaks and frequently find a water leak outside houses as well as a water leak in house.
If you need help with a water leak, get in touch with our friendly team and they will guide you through the process. We will also produce water leak reports that you can give to your insurance company.
See more videos on our Water Leak YouTube Channel
On the topic of water leaks, and water companies, you may find our guide explaining Water Test Kit Strips interesting to review. They can help in a number of situations, we did a follow on from that looking at Drinking Water Test Vs Filter, Rain And Ground Water
Why is my water leaking outside?
There are a number of possible causes as to why your water is leaking outside. Firstly, you need to check it is actually a water leak and not just standing water from, for example, rainfall or poor draining ground. Plus, even if it is a water leak, it could be from a mains water leak or a drainage leak. Water leak detection companies such as ourselves can carry out tests to help see what the source of the leak is.
What do you do if you have a water leak outside your house?
If you have a water leak outside houses, the first thing to do is to work out who is responsible for it and this is not always clear, which is why we collated a guide. Once you know who is responsible a specific water leak outside houses, then they can take on the work to find and repair it, plus fix any damage caused. So that will likely be between yourself (or the homeowner / landlord if you rent), possibly involving and insurance claim, or the local water utility company.