Underground Water Leaks in South Florida: Signs and Symptoms

If you live in a home long enough, chances are you will experience various types of water leaks, ranging from mild to severe. Broken pipes, faulty appliances, clogged A/C lines and other plumbing issues can all lead to flooding and water damage inside of a home.

However, another area of concern stems from leaks that go undetected deep beneath the ground. These can occur in the underground pipes between your home and your meter box and can create significant, unseen issues for home and business owners.

It is important to note that underground leaks that originate between the meter box and home are the responsibility of the home owner, not the utility company.

Underground leaks can be extremely problematic and lead to huge water bills if they go undetected. In addition, they can destabilize the ground near the leak source and, in extreme cases, create problems with a buildings foundation that can compromise the integrity (and safety) of nearby structures.

So how can you tell if you have an underground water leak on or near your property?

Here are some important signs to look for that should warrant concern:

• Unusual wet area(s) on your lawn
• A greener-than-normal section/patch on your lawn, surrounded by drier grass that is more consistent throughout the home’s landscape
• Weak water pressure
• Faucet water that contains sediments or is tinted in color
• The sound of air pockets while water is running and/or a sputtering water flow
• Higher-than-normal water bills with no changes to showering, laundry or dishwashing habits

The causes of these leaks can vary in nature, but most likely are attributed to old or faulty pipes. This especially includes older-model homes that have polybutylene piping. This now-infamous material was involved in a massive $950 million lawsuit in 1995 due to its extremely high failure rate. If your home or office building was constructed anywhere from 1978 to 1995, there’s a good chance you have these pipes running throughout your property.

If you suspect an underground leak near your home or business, you will need to hire a plumbing professional to perform leak detection tests to isolate the exact cause and location of the leak(s).

Avis specializes in this service and uses state-of-the-art equipment to perform the necessary testing to uncover these types of issues.

If you are a resident of Lee or Collier counties and think you might have an underground leak somewhere, call Avis immediately at (239) 542-4421 to schedule service.