Leak Detection in Fayetteville, GA

What happens when you call

You'll be connected with an independent plumber who works in Fayetteville. They'll ask who bills you for water, how long the bill has been high and whether the meter moves with everything shut off. On site, the plumber confirms the loss at the meter, closes the house valve to split the yard line from the interior, then isolates branches and listens along the pipes until the leak is in one small area.

What affects the cost

• How many branches must be tested to find the source
• Whether the leak is in the yard, under a slab or in a wall
• Detection equipment such as acoustic sensors and thermal cameras
• The repair, from a fitting to a new service line
• A permit inside city limits through Fayetteville Building and Inspections, run by SAFEbuilt Georgia, with applications through BS&A Online

Fayetteville conditions

A Fayetteville mailing address does not always mean city water. The city runs its own water and sewer system, but Fayette County Water System serves parts of Fayetteville too, and some residents pay the county instead. City water is a blend of deep-well water and water bought from Fayette County, disinfected with chlorine.

For city customers, the rules are spelled out: the city owns and maintains the main, the line to the meter, the meter and the meter box. The service line from the meter to the house is the customer's, repairs require a plumber, and leaks on the customer side, including inside the meter box on the service line, are the owner's to fix. The city does not locate service-line leaks. City water emergencies after hours go to 770-997-5189. Fayette County customers call 770-461-1146, and county customers with backflow assemblies must have them tested every year by a certified tester.

Housing is young, with a median build year of 1999 and about 9% predating 1980, so most leaks start at fittings, hoses, valves and water heater connections.

Before the plumber arrives

• Check whether your bill comes from the city or Fayette County
• Take two meter readings an hour apart with nothing running
• Turn off irrigation and find the main shutoff
• Note warm floor spots, stains or soggy ground