Prior to starting the test, ensure that everything is turned off that uses water in the home or outside.  

1. Grab a screwdriver and a pair of gloves.
2. Locate the water meter. It should be located in front of the home, near the street.  It will have a metal or black plastic lid.
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3. Stomp on the meter lid a few times to scare away any bugs that may be on the lid. Look for bees. If there are bees flying in or out of the meter lid, stop immediately and call Customer Services at 480-350-8361.
4. Use a screwdriver to open the lid.
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5. Flip up the cap on the meter face and locate the red dial.  
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     • Please note that there is a decimal point to the left of the last number on the meter face.
     • Also note that on the small red dial, one of the pegs on the dial has a small arrow on it.
6. Determine if the red dial is spinning or showing any movement, which indicates water is flowing on the property. 
   • Take a picture of your meter face. 
   • Wait at least one minute. 
   • Take another picture. 
   • Compare to see if there was any movement.  
   • If any of the numbers have changed, you may have a leak.  
7. Move on to Step 2 if the home has a pool. If the home does not have a pool, move on to Step 3.  

Optional:  Calculating the flow rate will help you determine if you have more than one leak. Find out more about this process in the FAQ's.  

The pool auto-fill is one of the most common locations for leaks here in Tempe. For that reason, if continuous usage is detected, starting with the pool can save some time.

1. Make sure you followed the process in the previous section to determine if continuous usage is present. The following steps assume that those steps were performed and the red dial in the utility meter was found spinning.
2. Find the shut-off for the pool. Turn it off.
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     • Be aware that if the auto-fill is kept off, and the pool level gets too low, it can negatively impact the pool pump.
3. Return to the meter and check if the red dial is still spinning.
4.  If the red dial is no longer spinning, then the source of the continuous usage is in the pool line.
   • It is normal for a pool auto-fill to use two to six gallons of water per hour in the summer, as a result of high evaporation.
   • Perform the bucket test to make sure that the pool does not have a crack in the lining.
     • Video of the bucket test
     • Written description of the bucket test
5. If the red dial is still spinning, move on to Step 3.  

Learn more about how to check the pool for leaks, including an alternative visual method, by following the video instructions.  

If you have an irrigation system or outdoor water feature and have already completed Step 1 of the leak detection process, follow these next steps to check if the leak is located in the irrigation system.  

1. Find the house shut-off valve, which is usually located in front of the house.
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2. Identify the valve to the irrigation line. Shut it off by turning it perpendicular to the pipe.
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3. Return to the meter and check to see if the red dial is still spinning.
4. If the red dial has stopped spinning, the leak is somewhere in the irrigation system.
   • Check irrigation valves for visual signs of a leak, such as extra moisture or puddling.
     • Irrigation valve in box
     • Irrigation valve above ground  
   • Check the irrigation outputs (drip emitters, sprinkler heads, bubblers, etc.). If any are constantly running or seeping water, then the valve for that part of the system may be stuck on. Dirt can get into the diaphragm for valves and cause them not to turn off all the way.  
5. If the red dial is still spinning, move on to Step 4.

 View the video to learn more about how to check the irrigation system for leaks.

If you have completed at least Step 1 the leak detection process (and Step 2 and 3, if applicable), follow these next steps to check if the leak is located in the service line.

1. Locate the home shut off valve.
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2. Shut off the water to the home and landscape by turning this valve. 
   • If it is a ball valve, turn the valve clockwise so that it lays perpendicular to the pipe.  
   • If it is a gate valve, it may be difficult to determine if the valve is fully closed or not. Gate valves also corrode easily, making it difficult to turn. It is recommended to replace a gate valve with a ball valve.
3. Return to the meter and inspect for any changes. 
   • If the red dial stops, then the leak is located within the home. From here, you can continue to utilize the isolation method or switch to the visual method of leak detection. View both at www.smarthomewaterguide.org.
   • If the red dial continues to spin, then the leak is in the service line. You will need to contact a professional who specializes in service lines for the repair.  
4.  To turn the shut-off valve back on, turn it counterclockwise.

The WaterSmart Customer Portal sends automatic alerts known as "continuous water use alerts" to residents if their Single Family Residential (SFR) household uses more than six gallons or more consistently and continuously for a long-period of time (at least 72 hours).

These alerts are sometimes called "leak alerts," because they are useful for identifying when there is a potential leak in the home or landscape. However, receiving one of these alerts does not mean that you have a leak. This alert is simply letting the resident know to review recent water usage and check for leaks at the earliest time convenient.

The irrigation valve is typically going to be one of the valves on the backflow preventer. If you do not have a backflow preventer, you may have an isolation valve that is not shown in the illustration below. If uncertain, try turning on the irrigation system or water to the house after turning the valve clockwise. If water to the house stops flowing, you have turned the house shut-off valve. The valve that leads to the irrigation system should only shut off water to the landscape, not the house.

Be sure that you have performed the Leak Detection Test described in Step 1 of the four-step leak detection process and verified the presence of a leak.  

The formula below uses the movement on the red dial to help determine the flow rate of a leak. 

1. Time how many seconds it takes for the red dial to make a quarter (0.025 gallons), half (0.05 gallons) or one full (0.10 gallons) rotation.
2. Enter the amount of gallons recorded and time into the formula:  [Insert the amount of gallons] ÷ [Insert the time in seconds] x 60 x 60 = Gallons Per Hour 

If the red dial is spinning too fast to measure, it may be easier to use the block number to the left of the decimal point, which shows gallons.