Leak Detection in Acworth, GA

Is the leak in the yard or inside the house?

That is the first thing to settle. Cobb County Water System owns the pipe from the main to the meter; the line from the meter to the house is yours. Close the main shutoff where the line enters the house and watch the meter. If it still turns, the loss is in the buried line. If it stops, look inside. A wet patch right at the meter box or water bubbling up near the street is a county matter: Acworth sends water and sewer issues to Cobb County Water and Sewer at 770-419-6200, with emergencies at 770-419-6201.

Why would a fairly new Acworth house leak?

Acworth's homes are young by metro standards. The median build year is 2000 and only about 13.5% were built before 1980, mostly in the subdivisions that grew up around Lake Acworth and Lake Allatoona in the 1990s and 2000s. Newer homes rarely have corroded pipe, but they do have plenty of fittings, crimp rings, braided supply hoses and plastic valves, and those are where slow leaks start. Ice maker lines behind the refrigerator and washer hoses are frequent offenders. On properties with sprinklers, a cracked lateral or a valve box that never quite closes can run quietly for weeks.

Do I need a permit for the repair?

If the fix involves replacing or rerouting pipe, ask. The City of Acworth issues residential plumbing permits through its own Development Department and Building Inspections office, not through Cobb County, and it takes applications through an online self-service portal. Small repairs at a fixture often do not need one. A plumber who works in Acworth will know which side of that line your job falls on.

A note on the meter

The meter is your best tool before the plumber arrives. Take a reading at night after the last shower and another first thing in the morning before anyone runs water. Any change points to a leak, and the size of the change helps the plumber judge whether it is a dripping fixture or a pipe that has opened up.