First: is water still leaving right now?
The meter answers this in half an hour, and it costs nothing.
- Turn everything off
All taps, the washing machine, the dishwasher, the ice maker and the irrigation controller.
- Read the meter
Open the box near the curb and note the reading, and whether the small triangular leak indicator is moving.
- Wait 30 minutes and read again
Any movement with nothing running means water is going somewhere it should not.
- Close the house shut-off and repeat
If the meter stops, the leak is inside or under the house. If it keeps moving, it is the yard line or the irrigation system.
The usual culprits, in order
- A running toilet. The most common and the most ignored. A worn flapper can waste hundreds of gallons a day silently.
- Irrigation. A cracked head, a stuck valve or a controller that is watering far more than you think.
- A slab leak. Warm floor, the sound of running water, damp carpet — see what to do first.
- The yard line. A split between the meter and the house, often showing as a green or soggy patch.
- A dripping relief valve on the water heater, usually caused by pressure rather than the valve itself.
When it is not a leak
Some jumps are real usage. San Antonio summers push irrigation up hard, and a single hot month can change a bill dramatically. Filling a pool, house guests, a new appliance, or a billing period with more days in it all show up too. SAWS rates also include tiered charges, so heavy use in one month costs more per gallon than the same water spread across two. If the meter sits perfectly still with everything off, the water was used — not lost.
Getting the bill adjusted
Once a leak is repaired, SAWS has a leak adjustment process that can credit part of the excess. What helps is a dated, itemised invoice describing the leak and the repair, photos, and evidence you acted quickly. Our guide to SAWS leak adjustments explains what to send and in what order. Confirm the current terms with SAWS directly, since eligibility rules change.
Stop it happening again
- Check the meter once a month — it takes two minutes and catches leaks early.
- Put a few drops of food colouring in a toilet tank; if colour reaches the bowl without flushing, the flapper leaks.
- Run the irrigation zones through manually twice a year and watch for broken heads.
- Have the house pressure checked — high pressure wears out the parts that start these leaks. See water pressure repair.
Questions people ask
How much water can a small leak waste?
More than people expect. A steadily running toilet or a pinhole in a pressurised line runs 24 hours a day, which is why a leak that started quietly can double a monthly bill.
Should I call SAWS or a plumber?
If the leak is on the street side of the meter, call SAWS — that side is theirs. From the meter to your house is yours, and that is what we repair.
I cannot find it and the meter keeps moving.
That is what leak detection is for. We isolate the house, the yard line and the irrigation, then pinpoint the leak with acoustic and thermal equipment before anything is dug or opened. See leak detection.
Will my insurance cover the water I lost?
Generally no — policies deal with the damage water caused rather than the water itself. The SAWS leak adjustment is the route for the bill.