Fix irrigation leaks

By Tom Flynn, Green Change

About half of household water in California is used for landscape irrigation and other outdoor uses. One of the largest sources of water waste is from leaks and breaks in irrigation lines. Some of these leaks are hard to find (such as underground irrigation lines) but others are relatively easy. To make sure you avoid this water waste take the following steps:

1. Look for signs of leaks when your irrigation is running. Do you see or hear water coming out of irrigation lines where it shouldn’t be coming? 

2. If you have a garden/landscape maintenance person, do a walk-through of the system with them looking for leaks. I asked my gardener to check for leaks and he said he found none. Then I asked to check the lines with him and we found a substantial leak. 

3. Look for places where there are green weeds popping up in areas where there otherwise are dry weeds. Green weeds helped us identify where the leaks had occurred. 

4. Either contact your garden irrigation provider for expert advice or fix it yourself. 

Learn more on how to find and fix leaks from WaterCalculator.org or EPA WaterSense.

Photo credit: Sciencehacker, Wikimedia Commons