Read Your Water Meter and Find the Leak Yourself
Before anyone opens a wall, the water meter answers one question definitively: is water leaving the system right now with everything turned off?
August 15, 2026 · 5 min read
If your water bill jumped and you cannot see why, the meter is the fastest diagnostic in plumbing and it costs nothing.
Finding it
Usually near the street, in a covered box at ground level, often at the property line. The lid may need a screwdriver or a small pry bar. Watch for insects and snakes when you lift it — that is a real consideration here.
The test
- Turn off every fixture in the house. Taps, dishwasher, washing machine, ice maker, irrigation, pool fill.
- Ask everyone in the house not to use water for the duration.
- Open the meter and find the low-flow indicator — usually a small triangle, star or dial that spins with even a tiny flow.
- Watch it. If it is moving at all, water is leaving the system.
- If it is not obviously moving, note the exact reading, wait an hour or two with no water use, and read it again. Any change means a leak.
Narrowing it down
If the meter shows flow, the next step tells you whether it is inside or outside.
- Find the main shutoff for the house — usually where the supply enters, or at the meter.
- Close it.
- Watch the meter again.
- **Still moving with the house shut off** — the leak is between the meter and the shutoff. That is the service line, and in North Texas clay that is frequently a movement failure.
- **Stops when the house is shut off** — the leak is inside the house or under the slab.
Our guide on locating your main shutoff covers where to look if you have never found yours.
What causes a jump with no visible leak
- A running toilet — the most common indoor cause, and often silent. Our toilet guide covers the dye test.
- Irrigation, as above.
- A slab leak under the foundation.
- A leaking service line between meter and house.
- A water heater relief valve discharging.
- A pool with a leak, or an auto-fill running.
- A pressure regulator that has failed, which raises consumption across the house.
What the meter cannot tell you
It tells you water is escaping. It does not tell you where. Locating a slab leak or a service line failure takes proper leak detection equipment — acoustic listening, pressure testing and thermal imaging.
But knowing definitively that there is a leak, and whether it is inside or outside, saves a great deal of guessing before anyone starts looking.
If the meter is moving
Do the test, note what you found, and call us with it. Starting from real information makes the visit shorter and cheaper. (469) 338-5533.
Frequently asked
How do I check my water meter for a leak?
Turn off every water fixture in the house, then watch the meter's low-flow indicator. Any movement means water is leaving the system. If it is not obviously moving, note the reading, wait an hour or two with no use, and read it again.
How do I tell if a leak is inside or outside?
Close the main shutoff for the house and watch the meter again. Still moving means the leak is between the meter and the shutoff — the service line. Stopped means it is inside the house or under the slab.
What causes a high water bill with no visible leak?
A running toilet, irrigation problems, a slab leak, a failing service line, a water heater relief valve discharging, a pool leak or auto-fill, or a failed pressure regulator raising consumption across the house.
Can the meter tell me where the leak is?
No. It confirms water is escaping and, with the shutoff test, whether it is inside or outside. Locating a slab or service line leak takes acoustic listening, pressure testing and thermal imaging.