Underground & Water Line Leak Detection in Austin, TX
Not every hidden leak is under your foundation. Water and sewer lines running through your yard, from the street connection to your home or out to a pool, shed, or irrigation system, can leak well below the surface with no visible sign beyond a high water bill or an unusually soggy patch of lawn.
How Underground Leaks Are Found
Underground leak detection combines a few methods, all used before any digging starts.
Ground microphone listening
Acoustic listening equipment picks up the sound of water escaping under pressure, even through soil, and helps narrow down the general area.
Line tracing
Tracer equipment follows a pipe's physical path underground, which helps correlate the line itself with an acoustic or pressure finding.
Pressure isolation testing
Isolating sections of line and testing pressure narrows down which specific section is affected before any ground gets disturbed.
What This Looks Like in Practice
On a commercial case in this market, a combination of acoustic equipment and fiberglass tracer probes was used to pinpoint a broken fitting nearly four and a half feet underground without excavating the whole line first. The same principle applies at residential scale: locate precisely, then dig only where it is actually needed.
Signs of an Underground Leak
- An unusually green or soggy patch of lawn, even during dry weather
- A sinkhole or soft spot forming in the yard
- A water meter that keeps running with the house shut off
- A noticeable drop in water pressure throughout the house
Frequently Asked Questions
Can an underground leak be fixed without digging up my whole yard?
In many cases, yes. Once the leak is accurately located, repair access can often be limited to just the affected section, and trenchless options may apply to certain line types.
What is the difference between a slab leak and an underground leak?
A slab leak sits under your home's concrete foundation. An underground leak runs further out, in the yard between the meter and the house. See our Slab Leak Detection page for that side of it.
Soggy Spot in the Yard, or a High Water Bill?
Call (737) 439-3888 and we will help you figure out whether it is on your side of the meter.
Call (737) 439-3888