Is Your Lawn Looking a Little Overgrown? You May Have a Sewer Leak
Posted by Moore Home Services
Plumbing
Lush, green lawns are typically appealing, but in some situations, it can be a bad sign. If you suddenly notice lush patches and wet spots, you could have a plumbing problem or sewer leak.
Excess water from pipe leaks is absorbed by the grass on your lawn, hence why some spots may become overgrown.
There are other signs of a plumbing leak aside from the wet or lush spots, so let’s look at what they are and what to do if you notice them.
Water Main Leak
Water meters are placed in your front yard to show how much water is being used and to allow the county to access them at any time.
A pipe connects the meters to the water main, and typically this main is underneath the street. Then water is provided to homes through a service pipe connected to the main line.
Whether you or the county are responsible for a leak depends on where the leak is located. If a leak happens
There is one exception to this rule: if you have not properly maintained the area in your yard around the meter. You are responsible to care for the area surrounding the meters to always ensure that it’s accessible to the county.
Homeowners own the water service lines that run through their yards. Therefore, they are responsible for any leaks that occur there. Fortunately, though, professional plumbers are there to help you repair a water main issue.
Sewer Line Leak
The lateral connection connects your home’s sewage to the municipal sewage through the sewer line.
If your lateral connection or other sewer pipes break, it can be a bit more obvious of a break due to the potential smell. Sewer line leaks can either smell like sewage, mold, or mildew.
Sewage is full of harmful bacteria, so it’s important to take care of a sewage leak as soon as you can.
Otherwise, you can risk it leaking into your water supply, as well as causing mold, foundational cracks, and sinkholes.
Sprinkler or Other Landscaping Issues
When a sprinkler breaks, it could lead to pooling water in your yard even after the sprinkler is done running. Sprinkler breaks are much easier to manage and can easily be fixed by yourself.
However, you should call 811 before you begin digging. You don’t want to obstruct any of the underground utility lines as you dig.
Soil with poor drainage and poor grading on your home also leads to pooling water. If your soil is compacted or rocky, you might not have sufficient drainage. As for improper grading, your home should be graded so that any water drains away from your home’s foundation.
Lastly, the roots of trees, bushes, or other plants can obstruct your outdoor plumbing. Holly and boxwood shrubs as well as willow, magnolia, and birch trees are common culprits of this.
This can happen when there is already a crack in your plumbing, which creates moisture that roots can use to grow.
Here are some ways you can avoid roots from obstructing your plumbing:
Finding the location of sewer lines before doing any additional landscaping
Using metal or wood barriers to protect sewer lines from roots
Planting trees or shrubs that are less likely to grow large roots
Regularly inspecting and maintaining your sewer lines
While the occasional drain clog is normal, it is not normal to experience them on a regular basis. If this is the case, you should contact a plumber to determine if there is a root that damaged your plumbing line.
Increased Water Bill
It’s no surprise that leaking pipes will increase your water bill. However, there are other causes of a high water bill, including leaky toilets and faucets and higher water usage.
You should always examine your home and indoor plumbing to determine what is causing a higher water bill.
If you can’t find an obvious cause, you should look at your lawn to see if there are any pooling or lush areas. If you see any, it’s likely that you have a broken pipe somewhere.
Low Water Pressure
Leaks and breaks in pipes divert the flow of the water, causing your home’s water pressure to become lower. Similar to how there are multiple causes of a high water bill, there are also different causes of low water pressure besides leaky pipes.
Calcium and corrosion could be building up in your pipes, for example. Hiring a plumber to look at your water pressure issues will eliminate the guesswork of trying to find the cause yourself.
When you call a plumber to assist you with plumbing problems, they will give you the experienced service that you need to resolve the problem smoothly.
Schedule an appointment with the most reliable plumbers in Santa Rosa. Call the number at the top of the screen or click here to schedule an appointment online.
Whether you or the county are responsible for a leak depends on where the leak is located. If a leak happens
There is one exception to this rule: if you have not properly maintained the area in your yard around the meter. You are responsible to care for the area surrounding the meters to always ensure that it’s accessible to the county.
Soil with poor drainage and poor grading on your home also leads to pooling water. If your soil is compacted or rocky, you might not have sufficient drainage. As for improper grading, your home should be graded so that any water drains away from your home’s foundation.
Lastly, the roots of trees, bushes, or other plants can obstruct your outdoor plumbing. Holly and boxwood shrubs as well as willow, magnolia, and birch trees are common culprits of this.
This can happen when there is already a crack in your plumbing, which creates moisture that roots can use to grow.
Here are some ways you can avoid roots from obstructing your plumbing:
If you can’t find an obvious cause, you should look at your lawn to see if there are any pooling or lush areas. If you see any, it’s likely that you have a broken pipe somewhere.
When you call a plumber to assist you with plumbing problems, they will give you the experienced service that you need to resolve the problem smoothly.
Schedule an appointment with the most reliable plumbers in Santa Rosa. Call the number at the top of the screen or click here to schedule an appointment online.