Ok guys, would like your input on this situation please. About a week ago, we took the dogs out before work and discovered we had standing water in the backyard. Now we've always had a low spot back there and it is an issue when it rains hard, but it hasn't rained recently here in Houston. I checked my meter and the leak indicator (red arrow) is not moving. I looked at my neighbors and his was/is, leading me to believe the problem is on his side of the fence. They were out of town so I wrote a note explaining what I found and left my number to call me if any other questions.

The wife called me the other day and explained they contacted the operator for our MUD who came out to check for a leak. Apparently they did not find a leak on their line; all of our mains are in the front of the house, not the back yard, but they told her the meter was running, meaning they had water coming from somewhere.

Tonight I catch the husband in the driveway and talk to him. His position is the operator said there wasn't a leak so he doesn't plan to do anything. This really confused and angered me TBH. He also has standing water in his backyard. I asked him where he thinks the water is coming from and he just keeps repeating the operator didn't find a leak. I told him his meter is running so that has to mean water is coming from somewhere and he just refuses to listen. So now I'm getting hot and tell him this is affecting my yard and he needs to do something so he says maybe he'll call a plumber and goes inside.

Lets assume for a minute there is no leak; why or how would water just appear like this? I have seen his meter moving with my own eyes; that has to mean water is in use at his house somewhere correct? If I had a leak in my sprinkler system, my meter would be moving correct?

Very frustrated and if I have missed something on my side I should be checking please tell me. Thanks.

You're not in Katy, are you?

Pearland

Disregard... very similar story with the in-laws.

Do you have back Neighbors?

For us if the leak is on the City side they handle it. If it is past the meter/shutoff then it's on the homeowners side and you have to handle it yourself, usually by calling a plumber. We had a leak near my and my neighbors shutoff and saw their meter running. They had to pay a plumber to dig and fix the leak.

ToHntortoFsh said:

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He's going to care when he gets the bill

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So much this. What kind of loon sees the meter spinning like a cheap fan and doesn't think it's a problem?

From your post, I'm wondering if you told him he ought to fix it, and he got all huffy and thought you were 'ordering' him to fix it, and he isn't going to, just to spite you...at least until he gets his bill.

In the meantime, enjoy the free irrigation? And if it's standing, can you drain it off to a ditch or gutter?

98Ag99Grad said:

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...Tonight I catch the husband in the driveway and talk to him. His position is the operator said there wasn't a leak so he doesn't plan to do anything. This really confused and angered me TBH...

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What is this TBH of which you speak? (grins)

TBH= to be honest. And no back neighbors for us.

The fact that the dial is spinning apparently all the time would rule out the sprinkler system, except for the main feed to the system.

Hopefully, you're close to a billing cycle for him to get a wake up call. That much water combined with cooling days is going to wreck your grass. Wouldn't be a huge deal in the summer, but fall and winter is a bad time for constantly standing water.

Since he is pooling water on your land, you should hook up with one of the law firms in Houston that are suing for the flooding in the reservoirs and downstream, I'm sure they could help you out with some damages.

They do not.

Ag_07 said:

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Just because the operator didn't find a leak doesn't mean there isn't a leak. They don't check past the meter do they?

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That was my thought. The operator is saying he city does not have a leak but he could not care less if the home owner has a leak.

I called them out about a leak at the meter the other day. I did not run sprinklers for over a week and the boxes were full of water when I left for work and water was collecting at the curb. The came out and said they did not find a leak but miraculously everything has dried out by the time I get home. hmm...

Gigemags05 said:

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I don't think a leak in your sprinkler system would use water unlesss your system was running. Unless it's in front of the valve to your system, which should t be in the back yard by your fence.

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I had a valve get a tiny piece of debris in it somehow once so it wouldn't fully close. There was just enough flow to make the heads bubble (for lack of a better term) constantly.

Ag_07 said:

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Just because the operator didn't find a leak doesn't mean there isn't a leak. They don't check past the meter do they?

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Exactly! This is what was so infuriating, They guy just doesn't get it.

dlance said:

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Gigemags05 said:

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I don't think a leak in your sprinkler system would use water unlesss your system was running. Unless it's in front of the valve to your system, which should t be in the back yard by your fence.

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I had a valve get a tiny piece of debris in it somehow once so it wouldn't fully close. There was just enough flow to make the heads bubble (for lack of a better term) constantly.

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One of my sprinkler lines broke underground near one of the heads, and it caused water in my yard. Once I fixed the broken line, it dried up. Your sprinkler lines have water in them, which is why you have to drain them during the winter. He may have a broken sprinkler line, and instead of making it to the head to get dispersed, it's just flowing underground and causing a giant mud hole that's flowing downhill.

OP, do either of you have a pool?

My backyard neighbor has one, and we developed standing water at the low point at the back of our yards. It was an issue with his pool/equipment. He fixed it quickly, but with big yards and 16" avg of sandy loam soil over clay, the water had been flowing for quite a while before being noticed. Probably a couple to three weeks.

It was evidently a big bill. So big, he would not tell me exactly how much when I saw him and inquired. Just commented .. wow big, painful....

No sir. Neither of us have a pool. Looks like they're gone again this weekend so I checked his meter again. Little arrow still steady spinning.

Apache said:

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My guess is he has a mainline leak on his irrigation system & no master valve.

Many systems (especially older ones) did not install a master valve. The master valve opens concurrently with each individual zone valve and thus prevents the 24/7 free flow of water. The system will still leak when the system is supposed to run though.


I would go over to his house when isn't there, find the backflow device or isolation valve & shut it off. Take a look at the meter & see if it is still spinning or not. Then you'll know for sure.

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